The 3 sports that have been cut from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

As loyal followers of the Olympic Games will know, the catalogue of sports featured in each edition is constantly updated. Yes, some are permanent fixtures, but some changes can disappoint, while others arouse fascination. Paris 2024 will be no different and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the line-up for the Paris Games, takes place from July 26 (actually 24th) until August 11.

Why are other sports/disciplines practiced during the Olympic Games?

Deciding what to include can be challenging: determine whether to promote less popular sports, satisfy the most popular sports, or continue with recently introduced sports. The latter is the case for skateboarding, surfing and climbing, which were first practiced in Tokyo 2020 and will continue in Paris.

But not all sports have been so lucky. To make room for new sports like breaking (also called breakdance) to debut and fit in among the 28 sports (and different disciplines) in Paris, others have been eliminated. But which ones are they?

Karate: domo arigato but no

Karate will not be part of the Paris Games, a decision that disappointed Spain, one of the world leaders in the sport. Karate, which debuted in 2020, has only had one edition as an Olympic sport.

“The door is effectively closed to karate,” confirmed Kit McConnell, the IOC’s sports director, in an interview. The main reason given was the need to a ‘balance’ between traditional disciplines and disciplines that are growing rapidly.

Baseball: Home, No Homerun

Baseball will also be absent from the Paris 2024 Games. It has had six chances to participate in the Games. The festival debuted in 1992 in Barcelona and has been held four times in a row since, in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. However, the sport was banned and did not return until Tokyo 2020. There will be no baseball competition at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Softball: bad luck

Like baseball, softball will also be absent from Paris. This sport shares much of baseball’s history: both had a streak, but softball debuted in 1996 and continued until Beijing 2008. It was then banned until the 2020 Tokyo revival, but it will not be seen in Paris.

These changes reflect the IOC’s efforts to strike a balance between including emerging sports and preserving traditional ones. Still, it’s never going to please everyone, especially if you’re in peak physical condition to compete in one of the scrapped events.