This year's Olympics will look a little different. In addition to the typical events people look out for -- such as Gymnastics, Track & Field and Swimming -- the Paris Summer Games will feature a new competition and reprise others that made their debuts in the 2020 Tokyo Games. The International Olympic Committee opted to add these sports to "enhance its program and overall concept" and "set a new standard for inclusive, gender-balanced and [youth-centered] Games."
Here's a look at the rules, format and schedule of the four additional Olympic sports.
Breakdancing (Breaking)
After captivating the hip-hop world for the past few decades, breakdancing (referred to as "Breaking" by the IOC) will make its Olympic debut in Paris. The sport previously debuted at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
There will be two events for men and women, where 16 competitors will showcase their skills in "spectacular solo battles." The athletes will use a combination of moves, including the windmills, 6-Step, and freezes, to improvise their choreography to a DJ's tracks, ultimately hoping to wow the judges and bring home the first Breaking medals in Olympic history.
The competition will take place over the course of two days, with the women competing on Aug. 9 and the men taking the stage the following day. Round robin, quarter final, semifinal and final rounds will happen on the same day over a few hours. Round robin is set for 10:15 a.m. ET, while the winners will be crowned at 3:15 p.m. ET.
Sport Climbing
Sport climbing will return for a second straight Olympics. It's an indoor rock-climbing competition with a 49-foot inverted wall and three different events. The lead event consists of athletes scaling a 49-foot wall in six minutes without having seen the route beforehand. According to the IOC, "The routes for this event are more and more complex and challenging during the event, requiring all of the athletes' physical and mental ability."
The speed climbing contest requires athletes to scale that same wall in one-on-one elimination rounds. The wall features holds that make it more and more difficult to reach the top, and unlike the lead event, the climbs occur in seconds. The last event on the list is bouldering, which includes a 13-foot wall but no safety rope. Athletes must scale the wall in the quickest time with the fewest attempts possible.
Similar to Breaking, sport climbing debuted at Buenos Aires' Summer Youth Olympic Games before its overwhelming popularity led to its Tokyo debut. In Paris, the competition is set for Aug. 5-10 and will feature a roster increase to 34 men and 34 women.
Skateboarding
Skateboarding returns after an electric debut in Tokyo. 22 men and 22 women will compete in two disciplines -- park and street -- and in the preliminary and final rounds. They will be judged on degree of difficulty, speed and range of moves.
The park competition features several bowls and bends, which skateboarders will use to build speed and hangtime for mid-air tricks. Park athletes will be judged on their tricks' height and speed, in addition to their ability to use the entire surface and all obstacles. They will perform three 45-second runs, with their best of three considered as their final score.
The street competition replicates the urban environments where skateboarding rose to fame, featuring a collection of stairs and handrails along a "street-like" surface. Skateboarders will be judged on two 45-second runs and five tricks, as well as how they control their board over the course of their runs.
Skateboarding will take place on July 27-28 (beginning 6 a.m. ET) and Aug. 6-7 (beginning 6:30 a.m. ET) at the Place de la Concorde.
Surfing
Finally, surfing features 48 athletes descending upon Tahiti to ride the famous Teahopo'o wave. Surfers will look to impress the five judges with their tricks' variety, type and difficulty, in addition to their speed, power and flow. Most athletes will be relying on shortboards instead of longboards for the Games, using the shortboards' quickness and maneuverability to perform their tricks.
Surfers first advocated for the sport to be added to the Olympics in the 1920s, but they got their due a century later when the sport was added to the Tokyo lineup. Olympic surfing happens from July 28 to Aug. 5, with gold medal events slated for July 31.
Who is O'Brien backing to win the most medals at the 2024 Olympic Games, and which nation will shock the world? Visit SportsLine now to see Dan O'Brien's 2024 Summer Olympics medal futures bets and analysis, all from the 1996 Olympic decathlon gold medalist who also is a three-time world champion in the event.
