For Paris 2024, France’s organizing committee proposed breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing as additional Olympic sports. The International Olympic Committee approved all four, with breaking making its Olympic debut in Paris.
The choice was not a replacement of the regular Olympic program. It added four sports to the Games, each with a different setting and style of competition. Here’s what the organizers selected, why the distinction matters, and how these sports fit into the Olympic schedule.
Which sports did france pick for Paris 2024?
The four sports were breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing. The Paris 2024 organizing committee proposed them as additional sports, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the proposal.
That means “France picked” is a useful shorthand, but not the whole story: the host organizers made the proposal, while the IOC made the final decision. The four additions sat alongside the Games’ established sports rather than replacing them.
| Sport | Paris 2024 setting or format | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| Breaking | Head-to-head dance battles | Improvised moves, musicality, and performance |
| Sport climbing | Speed and combined boulder-and-lead events | Climbing routes or walls under different rules |
| Skateboarding | Street and park events | Tricks performed on urban-style features or a bowl course |
| Surfing | Waves at Teahupo’o, Tahiti | Riding and performing maneuvers on ocean waves |
Three of the sports—climbing, skateboarding, and surfing—had already appeared at Tokyo 2020. Breaking was the new Olympic addition for Paris.
Why Paris added these four sports
Olympic host organizers can propose additional sports for their edition of the Games, subject to IOC approval. This gives a host some room to shape its program while the core Olympic sports remain in place.
Paris organizers said their choices reflected youth appeal, urban culture, and sports with established communities. The selections also offered varied kinds of competition: dance battles, judged tricks, climbing challenges, and wave riding.
Adding sports is not simply a matter of popularity. Organizers and the IOC must consider factors such as venues, athlete and event numbers, audience interest, and whether the competitions can be delivered within the Games plan. A proposed sport does not automatically become a permanent Olympic sport.
What each sport involved in Paris
Breaking
Breaking is a competitive form of street dance. Athletes, called B-boys and B-girls in the competition, took turns performing to music selected by a DJ. Judges assessed elements such as technique, creativity, musicality, and the overall performance.
Unlike a race, there is no clock that decides the winner. Competitors face off in rounds, and judges choose who advances. Breaking’s inclusion brought a dance-based competition to the Olympic program, but it was a one-Games addition: it is not included in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic program.
Sport climbing
Sport climbing tests different abilities depending on the event. In speed climbing, two athletes race up standardized walls. In bouldering, climbers solve short, difficult routes without ropes; in lead climbing, they try to climb as high as possible on a longer route while attached to a rope.
Paris used a speed event and a combined boulder-and-lead event. This is useful context for viewers: “sport climbing” does not describe one single challenge. Speed rewards quick movement, while boulder and lead events test problem-solving, strength, and endurance in different ways.
Skateboarding
Paris had two skateboarding disciplines: street and park. Street courses use obstacles such as rails, steps, and ledges. Park courses feature curved ramps and bowls, which allow athletes to build speed and perform aerial tricks.
Runs and individual tricks are judged. A strong performance combines difficulty with control and execution; simply attempting a demanding trick does not guarantee a high score if the landing is unstable or the move is not completed cleanly.
Surfing
Olympic surfing is judged on the quality of maneuvers performed on waves. Athletes compete in heats, and judges consider factors such as the difficulty and variety of their turns and other maneuvers, along with how well they execute them.
The Paris event took place at Teahupo’o on the island of Tahiti, far from the host city. That location was a distinctive part of the selection: the organizers used a renowned surf break rather than trying to stage the competition in Paris itself.
How the four choices compare
The sports may look like a single group of “youth” events, but they differ substantially in how athletes compete and how results are decided.
| Sport | How the result is decided | Main challenge | Best for viewers who enjoy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breaking | Judges select the winner of each battle | Responding to music and an opponent with original, controlled movement | Live performance and head-to-head contests |
| Sport climbing | Time or climbing results, depending on the discipline | Speed, route reading, grip, and endurance | Clear physical tests with different formats |
| Skateboarding | Judges score runs and tricks | Landing difficult tricks with precision and style | Creative attempts and technical execution |
| Surfing | Judges score wave rides during heats | Choosing waves and making the most of changing conditions | Outdoor competition shaped by the waves |
One practical viewing tip: check the event format before watching. A climbing race is decided differently from bouldering and lead, while a surf heat depends on wave opportunities. Knowing the scoring method makes it easier to understand why an athlete advances or wins.
Did France choose sports for its national team?
No. The selection was about which additional sports would be contested at the Paris Olympics, not which sports French athletes were allowed to enter. Athletes from eligible countries could qualify under each sport’s rules.
French competitors could participate, but the choice did not guarantee France a medal or a place in every event. Athletes still had to meet qualification requirements, and the number of available places was limited.
Were these sports part of every Olympic Games?
No. These were additions for Paris 2024, not a permanent set of four sports that every host must include. The Olympic program can change between editions, and an appearance at one Games does not guarantee a return at the next.
Breaking, for example, appeared in Paris but is not on the Los Angeles 2028 program. Climbing, skateboarding, and surfing have continued into later Olympic planning, but the events and formats can differ by edition. Check the program for the specific Games you plan to follow rather than assuming the previous lineup will repeat.
How to keep the Olympic sport selection straight
- Separate the additions from the core program. Paris proposed four additional sports; it did not choose the entire Olympic lineup from scratch.
- Remember who made the decision. The Paris organizing committee proposed the sports, and the IOC approved them.
- Learn the event format. Each sport has its own scoring or progression system, and some contain multiple disciplines.
- Check the edition. Olympic sports can change from one Games to another, so a Paris 2024 event may not appear in the next program.
A common misconception is that a host country permanently adds its chosen sports to the Olympics. In reality, these additions are tied to a particular edition unless they are separately retained or adopted into a later program.
The short answer to which sports did france pick is breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing. Paris proposed the four additions, and the IOC approved them for the 2024 Games; only breaking was new to the Olympic program at that edition.
If you’re planning to watch or research one of them, start by checking its specific event format and scoring rules. That small step will make the results—and the differences between Olympic editions—much easier to follow.