Paris 2024 goes for gold in Olympic innovation

(MENAFN- The Conversation) Think of the Olympics and for many of us, images of the traditional big events come to mind: track and field, swimming, weightlifting, gymnastics. But the Games are changing – and the Paris Olympics are taking it to a new level.

In addition to the return of youth sports such as surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing and BMX freestyle, breakdancing and kiteboarding will also be introduced during these games.

The program changes have been on the agenda of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for years. They are part of an effort to reverse a decades-long decline in the number of young audiences, particularly in the important American consumer market.

But the new look is also part of a larger strategy designed to improve inclusivity and gender balance. Paris even claims to be the first gender-balanced Olympic Games, with the new sports key to achieving that milestone.

None of this has been smooth sailing, with the inclusion of new events a highly political process. On the one hand, traditionalists have resisted change. On the other, the countercultural origins of some of the new sports have made them reluctant to be included in the world’s largest and most powerful sporting institution.

Italian kitesurfer Lorenzo Boschetti will test the Olympic waters in Marseille in 2023. Getty Images

New events, new locations

Of the two newest entrants, breaking is likely to surprise the audience the most. What began as an urban dance style within American hip-hop culture in the 1970s has gone mainstream and successfully tested at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

Breakdancing has always been competitive, of course. In the Olympic format, teams of 16 (B-boys and B-girls) compete one-on-one with a range of spectacular acrobatic moves.

Athletes must improvise and adapt their style and routines to the beat of the tracks chosen by the DJ. The role of the DJ and MC during these “battles” will give the new sport a very different feel than other Olympic events.

Read more: Alt goes mainstream: How surfing, skateboarding, BMX and sport climbing became Olympic events

Kiteboarding almost made it onto the Olympic sailing program at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, replacing windsurfing. The International Sailing Federation eventually overturned that decision, but the dynamic event is finally making its debut. In Paris, kiteboarders will use the latest foiling technology, making it a showcase attraction.

These Games will also see the IOC’s “urban park” concept finally realized. Originally planned for the Tokyo Olympics, COVID disrupted the vision of an X Games-style atmosphere of music, fun and interaction between athletes and fans.

Instead of building expensive new venues, the host country will use existing infrastructure in combination with temporary facilities. Skateboarding, sport climbing, breaking, 3×3 basketball and BMX freestyle will all be hosted in a temporary park built on the iconic Place de la Concorde.

All these innovations are an expression of the IOC Agenda 2020 and Agenda 2020+5. These major policy changes focus on urban cultures, youth and sustainability.

Fumika Kawakami of Japan and Hanareum Sung of Korea at the women’s speed climbing qualifying events in Budapest. Getty Images

Going Mainstream

Olympic climbing will also evolve in Paris. Introduced at the Tokyo Games, it initially combined three very different climbing styles: speed, bouldering and leading (where climbers use ropes to climb).

Many climbers were not happy with this consolidation into one medal event. In Paris, the event will be split into two: a combined bouldering and leading event and a speed event.

In Tokyo, skateboarding had the greatest media attention of the new sports, with the global public and media particularly captivated by the joy and camaraderie of women’s competition.

The average age on the women’s skateboarding medal podium was 14, and the young competitors were hailed as evidence of a truly inclusive Olympic spirit. This success may also have changed the perception of skateboarding as marginal or even antisocial to a legitimate and highly skilled sport.

It has also opened up new opportunities for female skaters in a previously male-dominated culture. There are anecdotal reports of an increased willingness from parents to let their children learn to skateboard, with local councils building more facilities and revising rules around skating being a “nuisance” in public spaces.

French surfer Kauli Vaast trains for the Paris Olympics on Tahiti’s famous Teahupo’o reef. Getty Images

Waves of change

Perhaps the most radical aspect of the Paris Olympics is the location of the surfing competition in Tahiti, 16,000 kilometers from the host city.

Using the legendary reef break at Teahupo’o would almost certainly solve the wave quality issues at the Tokyo Games. But the decision has also proven controversial, with local residents concerned about the potential impact of the event on the fragile ecosystem of the ocean and surrounding areas.

In particular, a new aluminum assessment tower, which involved drilling into the fragile coral reef, has sparked months of local and international protests.

In a sense, the surfing controversy is emblematic of the IOC’s broader struggle to modernise the Games and respond to a rapidly changing sporting landscape without alienating its traditional audience.

The IOC has invested heavily in these new sports and events, and we are likely to see more of them on the programme in Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032. There is also a push for their inclusion in the Paralympics.

Whether those elusive younger viewers will be lured back, however, remains to be seen. Our research suggests that the full impact of inclusion – both at the Olympics and in the sports themselves – could take years to become apparent. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the show.

MENAFN15072024000199003603ID1108442304

Legal disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without any warranty. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues regarding this article, kindly contact the provider above.