The 3 sports that have been removed for the 2024 Olympics in Paris

As regular followers of the Olympic Games will know, there is a continuous updating of the catalogue of sports on show in each edition. Yes, some are mainstays, but some changes can disappoint while others spark fascination. Paris 2024 will be no different, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the lineup for the Paris Games, taking place from July 26th (actually 24th) to August 11th.

Why are sports/disciplines changed in the Olympics?

The decision of what to include can be a challenge: determining whether to promote less-followed sports, satisfy the most played ones, or continue with recently introduced ones. The latter is the case for skateboarding, surfing, and climbing, which debuted in Tokyo 2020 and will continue in Paris.

However, not all sports have had this fortune. To make room for new sports like breaking (aka break dancing) to debut and fit among the 28 sports (and various 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 has 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 for karate,” confirmed Kit McConnell, the IOC’s sports director, in an interview. The main reason given was the need to establish a “balance” between traditional disciplines and those that are rapidly growing.

Baseball: home, not home run

Baseball will also be absent from Paris 2024. It has had the opportunity to be part of the Games on six occasions. It debuted in Barcelona 1992 and continued for four consecutive editions, in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008. However, it was excluded and did not return until Tokyo 2020. In 2024, there will be no Olympic baseball competition.

Softball: hard luck

Similar to baseball, softball will also be missing in 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 excluded until its return in Tokyo 2020, but it will not be featured in Paris.

These changes reflect the IOC’s efforts to balance the inclusion of emerging sports while maintaining traditional ones, but it will never keep everyone happy, especially if you’re in prime condition to compete in one of those removed events.