New sports in Olympics

New sports in Olympics

Subject: International Relations

Context: The Tokyo Olympics are introducing four new sports — skateboarding, surfing, karate and sport climbing. Each travelled its own unique path to the Games.

Concept:

The epitome of the Olympic motto “citius, altius, fortius” (faster, higher, stronger).

Karate

• The martial art that spread across Japan in the early 20th century and soon became ubiquitous worldwide has been a candidate for Olympic inclusion since the 1970s
• The competition at the famed Nippon Budokan will feature dozens of talented kumite (sparring) competitors in three weight divisions, along with the fascinating precision of kata (forms demonstration, often compared to a floor exercise in gymnastics).

Skateboarding

• An Olympic debut sport recruited by organizers to attract young audiences.
• High-flying tricks and stunts; an astounding age-range, with competitors aged 12 to 47.

Surfing

• The International Surfing Association has been lobbying the International Olympic Committee since 1995, the effort to include the sport dates back to the 1912 Summer Games in Stockholm,

Sport climbing

• Climbers scale a 15-meter wall filled with a variety of holds in the lead discipline. Bouldering involves smaller “problems” and dynamic movements. Speed is a race to the top on predetermined holds.