After years of vetting extreme sports for the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee has formally approved including some of the most thrilling, dangerous, and extreme sports worldwide. Here are the top extreme sports and adventures to watch out for in the Olympics.
Sport Climbing
Sport climbing has become so popular that it finally made its debut at the latest Olympics. It’s one of the newest extreme sports in the event, and it will include three different types of climbing. These include:
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Speed Climbing
Speed climbing is a form of indoor rock climbing where participants compete for the quickest time to reach the top of a climbing wall. The event will take place on a standardized climbing wall, and the same route will be followed for consistency.
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Bouldering
An extreme form of climbing is bouldering, where you’ll see participants climb to heights of at least 20 feet without ropes and harnesses. Since the Olympics committee cannot bring boulders that weigh several tons inside the arena or competition area, they can have these created via a 3D printer. A 3D printer manufacturer may need to bring in several units to handle large-format prints like these. However, if 3D printers can render body parts, surely boulders will be an easy task!
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Lead Climbing
Lead climbing is the safest out of all the sport climbing events as it involves using rope and clipping in, providing fixed protection along the route.
Karate
Karate is one of the newest extreme sports making its debut at the Olympics. It’s a martial art native to Japan, so it should be debuting in its homeland. There will be events for the main karate disciplines, Kata (forms) and Kumite (sparring). Men and women will compete in four events each.
Judo
Judo is an extreme combat sport with weight classes running through their entire tournament in one day. It’s one of the most thrilling and heart-stopping events in the game. After all, any match can suddenly end as Judokas try to throw each other onto and over their backs. A single throw can result in an ippon, ending the match instantly!
Skateboarding
One of the newest extreme sports in the Olympics is skateboarding. Men and women can compete in the sport and will compete in the street and park. Judges will score participants based on a series of tricks — and how well they’ll perform. In the street competition, participants will need to maneuver through stairs, railings, and benches. Meanwhile, in the park event, participants will go through a massive concrete bowl.
Surfing
Some of the most prominent names in surfing will face off in the sport’s Olympic debut. Although the waves are relatively tame in the Olympic event, it’s still an extreme sport. The latest Olympic event for surfing will take place in a seaside town around 60 miles east of Tokyo. It will involve timed heats and be judged on degree of difficulty, commitment, speed, maneuvers, and innovation.
Wrestling
Wrestling is a classic feature in the Olympics and has been around since the ancient Olympic Games in 708 BC. The sport’s Greco-Roman style was included in the first Olympic Games of the modern era in 1896, in Athens. Years later, freestyle wrestling and the women’s wrestling division were added to the Olympic program. There’s a reason why this extreme sport stood the test of time and is still loved by millions, and that is because it’s thrilling, fun, and inspiring!
Cycling
Cycling is an extreme sport consisting of an eclectic mix of events, even though they all involve riding a bike. In the Olympics, there’s the classic road race and hillier mountain bike. Plus, the BMX, an event that’s been around since 2008. It resembles those you’d see in X games. Riders are released at the top of ramps and ride down a course with more obstacles in this event.
Overall, cycling will always be entertaining and thrilling to watch as they begin in a tight pack and race to the finish line!
Triathlon
The Olympics has always had a triathlon event for men and women since 2000. However, in the most recent Olympics, they’ve added a mixed relay. It’s a no-frills event without any heat, just the race. Nonetheless, triathlons will always get your heart pumping! The Olympic’s distance includes a 0.93-mile swim, 24.86-mile bike, and a 6.2-mile run.
Modern Pentathlon
A more extreme version of the already thrilling triathlon is the modern pentathlon. It’s an Olympic sport consisting of five events: fencing, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, cross country running, and freestyle swimming. Seeing participants compete in these various sports in one go will always be fun to watch!
Rugby
Rugby has recently returned to the Olympics after a long 92-year break. In the Olympics, the games are short and packed with thrill and action! The newest version of rugby has been made even more extreme as it only has seven players per team. That means there’s plenty of wide-open space and long runs with the ball.
Adding youth-oriented extreme sports like those mentioned in the Olympic program is a great way to make the event fresh and attractive to younger audiences. Plus, it makes the entire thing more thrilling for both the participants — and the audience!
