A demonstration sport, or exhibition sport, is a sport which is played to promote it, rather than as part of standard medal competition. This occurs commonly during the Olympic Games but may also occur at other sporting events.

Demonstration sports were officially introduced in the 1924 Summer Olympics, though some scholars consider unofficial sports prior to 1924 to also be demonstrations. Most organizing committees then decided to include at least one demonstration sport at each edition of the Games, usually some typical or popular sport in the host country, like baseball at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and taekwondo at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. From 1924 to 1992, only two Summer Olympics Games did not have demonstration sports on their program. Some demonstration sports eventually gained enough popularity to become an official sport in a subsequent edition of the Games. Traditionally, the medals awarded for the demonstration events followed the same design as the Olympic medals, but of a smaller size. They are never included in the medal count.

Demonstration sports were suspended after the 1992 Summer Olympics, as the Olympic program grew bigger and it became more difficult for the organizing committees to give them the appropriate attention, since the IOC required the same treatment to be dispensed for official and demonstration sports. It is unlikely that they will be reintroduced as a requirement for future Olympic organizing committees. However, the Beijing Olympic Committee received permission from the IOC to run a wushu (martial arts) competition parallel to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008.

From the 1984 Summer Olympics until the 2004 Summer Olympics, two Paralympic events (a men's and a women's wheelchair racing event) were included in the athletics programme of each Games. These events are considered by many as a demonstration sport, but were, in fact, used to promote the Paralympic Games. Disabled events in alpine and Nordic skiing (1988 only) were also held as demonstration sports at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics.

Summer Olympics

Below is the list of demonstration sports and additional sports at the Summer Olympic Games. Bold indicates a sport that was experimented with full metal status (under the event-based program that began with the 2020 Summer Olympics), while italics denote a sport that is not officially recognized as a demonstration sport by the IOC. GamesDemonstration sports (1908–1992) Additional sports (2020–present)Entered theOlympic program(where applicable)1908 London• cycle polo (men)• dueling (men)1912 Stockholm• baseball (men)• glima (men)• 19921920 Antwerp• korfball (mixed)1924 Paris• Basque pelota (men)• la canne (men)• canoeing and kayaking (men)• savate (men)• volleyball • 1936• 19641928 Amsterdam• kaatsen (men)• korfball (mixed)• lacrosse (men)1932 Los Angeles• American football (men)• lacrosse (men)1936 Berlin• baseball (men)• gliding (men) • Indian sports:

• kabaddi (men)• kho-kho Nag, Utathya (24 June 2022). "Kho Kho, a kabaddi-like sport linked with Indian epic Mahabharata - know all about it". Olympics.com• mallakhamb • 19921948 London• lacrosse (men)• Swedish (Ling) gymnastics (men and women)1952 Helsinki• Finnish baseball (men)• handball (men)• 19721956 Melbourne• Australian rules football (men)• baseball (men)• 19921960 Romecolspan="2" 1964 Tokyo• baseball (men)• budō (men) • 19921968 Mexico City• Basque pelota (men)• tennis (men and women)• 19881972 Munich• badminton (men and women)• water skiing (men and women)• 19921976 Montrealcolspan="2" 1980 Moscowcolspan="2" 1984 Los Angeles• baseball (men)• tennis (men and women)• 1992• 19881988 Seoul• badminton (men and women)• baseball (men)• bowling (men and women)• judo (women)• taekwondo (men and women)• 1992• 1992• 1992• 20001992 Barcelona• Basque pelota (men and women)• roller hockey (men)• taekwondo (men and women)• 20001996 Atlantacolspan="2" 2000 Sydneycolspan="2" 2004 Athenscolspan="2" 2008 Beijingcolspan="2" 2012 Londoncolspan="2" 2016 Rio de Janeirocolspan="2" 2020 Tokyo• baseball (men) • softball (women)• karate (men and women)• sport climbing (men and women)• surfing (men and women)• skateboarding (men and women) • 2028 • 2028 • 20282024 Paris• breaking (men and women)• sport climbing (men and women)• surfing (men and women)• skateboarding (men and women) • 2028 • 2028 • 20282028 Los Angeles• baseball (men) / softball (women)• cricket• flag football• lacrosse• squash 2032 BrisbaneTBC

Winter Olympics Below is the list of demonstration sports at the Winter Olympic Games. Bold indicates a sport that was experimented with full medal status (under the event-based program that began with the 2022 Winter Olympics), while italics denote a sport that is not officially recognized as a demonstration sport by the IOC. GamesDemonstration sports (1924–1992)Additional sports (2022–present)Entered theOlympic program(where applicable)1924 Chamonixcolspan="2" 1928 St. Moritz• military patrol (men)• skijoring (men)1932 Lake Placid• curling (men)• sled dog racing (men)• speed skating (women)• 1998• 19601936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen• military patrol (men)• ice stock sport (men)1948 St. Moritz• military patrol (men)• winter pentathlon (men)1952 Oslo• bandy (men)1956 Cortina d'Ampezzocolspan="2"1960 Squaw Valleycolspan="2"1964 Innsbruck• ice stock sport (men)1968 Grenoble• ice dancing, then known as "rhythmic skating" • 19761972 Sapporocolspan="2"1976 Innsbruckcolspan="2"1980 Lake Placidcolspan="2"1984 Sarajevo• disabled alpine skiing (men)1988 Calgary• curling (men and women)• freestyle skiing (men and women)• short track speed skating (men and women)• disabled alpine and Nordic skiing (men and women)• 1998• 1992 (moguls only)• 19921992 Albertville• curling (men and women)• speed skiing (men and women)• freestyle skiing – aerials (men and women)• freestyle skiing – ski ballet (men and women)• 1998• 19941994 Lillehammercolspan="2" 1998 Naganocolspan="2" 2002 Salt Lake Citycolspan="2" 2006 Turincolspan="2" 2010 Vancouvercolspan="2" 2014 Sochicolspan="2" 2018 Pyeongchangcolspan="2" 2022 Beijingcolspan="2"2026 Milano Cortina• ski mountaineering (men, women, and mixed team)• 20302030 French AlpsTBD2034 Salt Lake CityTBD

Commonwealth Games

Demonstration sports have also been held during the Commonwealth Games, sometimes under the heading of exhibition sports.

GamesDemonstration sportsEntered theCommonwealth Gamesprogram (where applicable)1958 Cardiff• polo• show jumping1962 Perthcolspan="2"1966 Kingstoncolspan="2"1970 Edinburghcolspan="2"1974 Christchurch• artist gymnastics• 19781978 Edmonton• lacrosse1982 Brisbane• Australian rules football• table tennis• 20021986 Edinburgh• judo• 19901990 Auckland• netball• triathlon• 1998• 20021994 Victoria• para-athletics• para-swimming• para-lawn bowls• 2002• 2002• 20021998 Kuala Lumpur• sepak takraw• silambam• silat• wushu 2002 Manchestercolspan="2"2006 Melbournecolspan="2"2010 Delhicolspan="2"2014 Glasgowcolspan="2"2018 Gold Coastcolspan="2" 2022 Birminghamcolspan="2" 2026 Glasgowcolspan="2"2030 Ahmedabad TBD

See also Commonwealth Games sports Olympic sports World Games sports

Notes

References

External links International Olympic Committee Olympic Official Reports List of Olympic medallists