What New Sports Are Coming to the 2024 Paris Olympics? Look Out for These Competitions

The 2024 Olympics in Paris are mere days away — and they'll look a little different than past games thanks to exciting new sports and heart-racing competitions.

This year, the Olympics will feature one new sport, breaking, and two new events, kiteboarding and kayak cross.

In breaking (also known as breakdancing), athletes will face off in solo dance battles during the men's and women's competitions. Kiteboarding will round off the 10 sailing events happening in Paris, while kayak cross will see athletes compete not only against the clock but also with each other.

Three additional sports — skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing — were also originally set to make their Olympic debuts in 2024. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 2020 Olympics to 2021, those events were introduced at the Tokyo Games instead.

But among the new additions, there are a few sports that fans won't be able to witness in Paris, including karate, which only made its debut at the 2020 Olympics.

Here's everything to know about the new sports and competitions coming to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

What new sports are coming to the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Breaking

Breaking — colloquially known as breakdancing — first originated during block parties in the 1970s in the Bronx borough of New York before spawning international competitions in the 1990s. The dance has deep roots in hip-hop and is characterized by acrobatic movements and stylized footwork, which include individuals doing flips, dancing and even spinning on their heads.

The breaking competition at the 2024 Olympics will feature 16 B-Boys in the men’s competition and 16 B-Girls in the women’s competition engaging in one-on-one dance battles until a winner is crowned. Athletes will have to adjust their moves and style based on the music the DJ plays while being scored by judges.

Breaking was added to the 2024 Olympics program following its success at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

Team USA athlete Victor Montalvo is currently the highest-ranked American male breakdancer in the world and is set to make his Olympics debut in 2024. Introduced to breaking by his father, Montalvo won gold at the 2023 World Championships and is a two-time Red Bull BC One Champion. In February 2024, Montalvo spoke with PEOPLE about how he hopes his success will inspire other young breakdancers to give their all to the sport.

“If you have a lot of passion for whatever you’re doing, just keep on doing it a hundred percent. Do it because you love it. It is not about the money,” Montalvo said. “I just love breaking so much and it was basically my life. I did it all day, every day, and I dug deep into the roots of it and really learned about the dance and basically just kept it going, persevering.”

Another athlete to watch is Lithuanian representative Dominika Banevic, who became the youngest B-Girl to ever win a world championship in the women's competition at 16 years old in 2023.

Kayak Cross

While kayak and canoe singles races are already Olympic sports, the kayak cross race is new and the first time that kayakers will compete against each other instead of the clock. It’s a grueling kayak race that involves full contact as competitors battle it out amidst multiple downstream and upstream gates. Competitors also need to complete one 360-degree roll where their heads go underwater.

A favorite in the men’s competition is Great Britain representative Joe Clarke, who last competed in kayaking at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, but has won three consecutive kayak cross world titles. A favorite in the women’s competition is Australia representative Jessica Fox, who won two consecutive kayak cross world titles in 2021 and 2022.

Kiteboarding

While sailing has been an Olympic sport for over 100 years, World Sailing announced that kiteboarding will be one of 10 sailing events at the Olympics for the first time in 2024. Kiteboarding involves competitors being propelled by the wind blowing against their kites as they hold onto a handle while maneuvering courses in a racing format on a board that looks like a wakeboard.

One kiteboarder to watch is British athlete Eleanor Aldridge, who won the 2023 Formula Kite European Championships.

What previous Olympic sports will not be at the 2024 Olympics?

While some sports are making their Olympic debut in Paris, others are on hiatus. Among them are karate, baseball and softball.

Karate became an Olympic sport during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but the IOC has elected not to bring the event back for this year's games.

Baseball and softball were excluded from the 2024 Paris Olympics as well, but they are set to return for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

What else is new at the 2024 Olympics?

The marathon relay mixed walk race will make its Olympic debut in 2024, replacing the individual 50 km walk. The race will feature 25 teams comprised of one man and one woman as they alternate every 10 km in the roughly 40 km race taking place on Aug. 7, 2024.

While artistic swimming became an Olympic sport in 1984, 2024 will mark the first time that there will be both a men’s and women’s competition with men competing for the first time. The sport includes both a duet and team competition with both events consisting of a free routine and a technical routine, which are all scored by judges.

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.com and come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.