The Olympic programme can look permanent from one Games to the next, but it is deliberately designed to evolve. Sports can be added, dropped, returned, or reshaped as the International Olympic Committee reviews what best fits each edition. That is why skateboarding and surfing have become familiar Olympic fixtures, while sports such as cricket and lacrosse can return after long absences. Understanding the Olympic sports selection process means separating three ideas that are often mixed together: the sport itself, its disciplines, and the medal events contested within them.
Who decides which sports are in the Olympics?
The final authority over the sports programme sits with the IOC Session, the meeting of IOC members. Under the Olympic Charter, the Session decides the sports programme for a specific edition on a proposal from the IOC Executive Board. The Executive Board has a separate role in determining the events programme, which covers the individual medal competitions.
This distinction matters. A sport can remain in the Games while its event lineup changes. Cycling, for example, contains several disciplines, and the specific medal events can be adjusted without removing cycling from the Olympics. So when people ask how Olympic sports are chosen, the answer is not a single yes-or-no vote. The programme is built at several levels and reviewed over time.
The role of international federations
Olympic sports are governed internationally by recognised International Federations, usually called IFs. These bodies oversee rules, championships, athlete pathways, integrity systems, and the international development of their sports. A federation seeking Olympic inclusion must demonstrate that its sport can operate to the standards expected across the Olympic Movement.
Eligibility is not based only on popularity. The Olympic Charter requires sports in the programme to comply with the Charter, the World Anti-Doping Code, and the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions. Governance and integrity therefore matter alongside sporting appeal.
What does the IOC consider when reviewing a sport?
There is no simple public formula in which a sport earns a fixed number of points and automatically enters the Games. IOC programme reviews have historically considered a broad mix of quantitative and qualitative factors. These include international reach, participation, athlete welfare, popularity, media interest, federation development, operational costs, and the value a sport adds to the overall Games.
Modern programme decisions also have to fit practical limits. Organisers must think about athlete numbers, competition venues, scheduling, cost, sustainability, gender balance, and whether existing or temporary facilities can be used. A sport with strong global interest may still face challenges if adding it would require major new infrastructure or create an oversized programme.
For readers comparing possible added Olympic sports, a useful test is to look beyond fan demand. Ask whether the sport has a credible international federation, broad competitive participation, anti-doping and integrity structures, an Olympic-ready event format, and a realistic venue plan. Those factors help explain why some apparently popular sports move faster than others.
Host cities can propose additional sports
One of the biggest changes to the IOC sports program has been greater flexibility for organising committees to propose additional sports for their own edition. This allows a host to reflect local sporting culture, reach new audiences, or make use of facilities that already exist in the region.
The crucial point is that an edition-specific addition is not automatically a permanent place in future Games. A host proposal is reviewed within the IOC process, including the Olympic Programme Commission and the Executive Board, before the IOC Session makes the decision required for inclusion in the sports programme.
Los Angeles 2028 is a clear example
For LA28, the organising committee proposed five additional sports: baseball/softball, cricket in the T20 format, flag football, lacrosse sixes, and squash. The IOC Session approved the package in October 2023. Baseball/softball, cricket, and lacrosse are returning sports, while flag football and squash will make their Olympic debuts.
This example shows why the Olympic lineup can change sharply between editions. Paris 2024 included breaking as an additional sport, but breaking is not part of the LA28 sports programme. Meanwhile, cricket returns in Los Angeles after appearing at the Olympic Games only once before, in 1900. An appearance at one edition should therefore be read as a decision for that edition unless the sport is also selected for later Games.
Can an Olympic sport be removed?
Yes. The programme is reviewed rather than guaranteed forever. A sport may lose its place if it no longer fits the direction or requirements of the Games, while disciplines and events can also be changed independently. The IOC can adjust the programme to keep it relevant, manageable, and aligned with broader Olympic priorities.
Removal does not necessarily mean permanent exclusion. Olympic history contains several returns. Golf and rugby came back at Rio 2016 after long absences, and baseball/softball returned at Tokyo 2020 before being approved again for LA28. That makes the programme better understood as an evolving portfolio than a permanent list.
Sport, discipline, and event: why the wording matters
A sport is the broad activity governed by its International Federation. A discipline is a branch of that sport, and an event is the specific competition that produces a ranking and medals. For example, swimming is a discipline within aquatics, while the men’s 100-metre freestyle is an event.
This is useful when following programme announcements because headlines often say a new “sport” or “event” has been added even though the formal change may occur at a different level. Understanding that hierarchy makes future Olympic programme news much easier to interpret.
FAQ
Who has the final say on adding a sport to the Olympics?
The IOC Session has the authority to decide the sports programme for an edition, acting on a proposal from the IOC Executive Board. The Executive Board determines the events programme and plays a major role in reviewing programme changes.
Can a host city add any sport it wants?
No. A host organising committee can propose additional sports, but the proposal must go through the IOC review and approval process. The sport also has to meet Olympic eligibility, governance, integrity, and practical requirements.
Are host-selected sports permanent Olympic sports?
Not automatically. Additional sports may be approved for one edition only. They can appear again later, become part of a future programme, or disappear from the next Games depending on later decisions.
Why does the Olympic programme change?
The programme changes so the Games can respond to sporting trends, global participation, host conditions, athlete and event limits, operational costs, sustainability goals, and audience interest while preserving Olympic standards.
A programme built to evolve
The Olympic sports selection process is best viewed as a continuing review rather than a one-time audition. International Federations establish the sporting foundation, IOC bodies assess programme value and practical fit, hosts can propose edition-specific additions, and the IOC Session makes the formal sports-programme decisions. That flexible structure explains why the Games can preserve long-standing Olympic sports while still creating room for returning disciplines, new formats, and sports that speak directly to the character of a future host city.
