From athletics to cycling, what are the oldest Olympic sports?

With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games commencing from July 29, the world is set to see athletes fight it out for glory in one of the biggest stages in sporting history.

Leading up to this mega sporting event, here’s a look at the oldest sporting events in Olympic history, which have been present since the 1896 Olympics:

Athletics (Track & Field)

Athletics (track and field) is one of the oldest Olympic sports and has been an integral part of the event since the first modern Olympic Games in Athens (1896). In the 1896 Games, the sport featured only men who competed in 12 events, including 100m, 110m hurdles, 400m, 800m, 1500m, discus throw, high jump, long jump, triple jump, marathon, pole vault, and shot put. The athletics discipline has evolved over the years, opening doors for women athletes and adding events like relay, race walk, javelin throw, etc.

Fencing

As old as athletics, fencing has remained a part of the Olympics since the first edition of the quadrennial event. Athens hosted the all-men fencing competition during the 1896 Olympics with three events: foil individual, foil masters, and sabre individual. Initially, the discipline was dominated by Greece and France.

Swimming (Aquatics)

Swimming has been a part of the Olympics since the 1896 edition of the Games, beginning with four events for men: the 100m freestyle for sailors, 100m freestyle, 400m freestyle, and 1200m freestyle. Over time, the Olympics have expanded to include 35 swimming events. Later, women were also allowed to participate in various categories.

Gymnastics (Artistic)

Artistic gymnastics has been a staple of the Olympics since the inaugural 1896 edition of the Games. Initially, the sport was exclusively for men, featuring eight team and individual events: team parallel bars, team horizontal bar, vault, pommel horse, rings, horizontal bar, parallel bars, and rope climbing. Later, the sport was opened to women, expanding to include 14 categories.

Cycling (Track)

Track cycling has been a part of the Olympics since its inception. At the Athens Games, track cycling included five events exclusively for men: the 100km, 10km, a 12-hour race, a 1km trial, and a sprint individual. Over the years, the sport has expanded to include 12 events for both men and women, encompassing both individual and team competitions.

Shooting

Shooting has been a consistent part of the Olympics, except for the 1904 and 1928 Games, featuring five events: 25m army pistol, 25m rapid fire pistol 60 shots, 50m pistol 60 shots, army rifle 200m, and army rifle 300m (the latter two exclusively for men in the inaugural edition). Greece led the medal tally in its early days, securing nine out of 15 medals. The discipline was predominantly dominated by the USA.

Weightlifting

Weightlifting has been an Olympic sport since the Athens 1896 Games. Initially, it included two events exclusively for men: heavyweight one-hand lift and heavyweight two-hand lift. In the upcoming Paris Olympics, the sport will feature 10 events across five weight classes for both men and women.

Women’s weightlifting debuted at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. In that historic edition, India’s Karnam Malleswari made history by winning bronze in the 69kg category..

Wrestling Greco-Roman

After its inclusion in the 1896 Athens Olympics, Greco-Roman wrestling was omitted from the following two editions (1900 and 1904). In Athens, the sport comprised only one event, exclusively for men, and Greece led the medal tally with two medals. Since its reintroduction in the 1908 Olympics, Greco-Roman wrestling has gradually expanded to include six weight classes for both men and women.

Cycling (Road)

Road cycling was featured at the 1896 Olympics but was excluded from the following three editions of the games (1900, 1904, and 1908). In the inaugural Olympic games, a men’s individual road race was organized, and Greece’s Aristidis Konstantinidis bagged the gold.

Tennis

Tennis is another sport that was featured at the Athens 1896 Games. The inaugural Olympics included two tennis events: men’s singles and men’s doubles, where Greece led the medal tally with three medals. In the upcoming Paris Olympics, the sport will consist of five events: men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.