5 of the Most Popular Olympic Water Sports
Last Updated on June 24, 2024 by Boatsetter Team
Water sports is one of the most thrilling categories within the Summer Olympics. While you’ll find five of the most popular olympic water sports events here, the olympic water sports category encompasses several disciplines each with star athletes and incredible feats (1). Make sure to check the schedule for the water sports events taking place during the 2024 Summer Olympics.
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Swimming
Swimming has been a part of the modern Olympic Games since their inception in 1896. With strong competitors from many countries, including the United States, Australia, China, and various European nations, swimming is considered one of the most popular water sports events, if not one of the most popular events of the Olympics. According to NBC Sports, swimming events were among the most-watched during the Rio 2016 Olympics (2).
Swimming competitions can be categorized into four main strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. In recent years, a mixed 4×100 meters medley relay, which includes both male and female swimmers, has also been added to the Olympic Games.
Surfing
Surfing made its debut in the Olympic Games at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The surfing competition at the Olympics consists of shortboard events for both men and women. Each surfer competes individually, showcasing their skills on a series of waves within a designated time frame. They are judged based on criteria such as the degree of difficulty, innovation, and execution of maneuvers, with the aim of riding the best waves possible to achieve the highest scores
WorldSurf League Finalist, Tatiana Weston-Webb will be on the Brazil Surf team and is expected to deliver breathtaking performances at the iconic venue Teahupo’o in Tahiti.
READ MORE: What to expect in the 2024 Summer Olympics
Water polo
Known for its intensity and physicality, water polo will feature fierce competition. Water polo has been part of the Olympic Games since its introduction in the Paris 1900 Olympics. The water polo match between Hungary and Soviet Union in the Melbourne 1956 Olympics, also known as the “Blood in the Water” match, is remembered as one of the greatest moments in Olympic history.
The Olympic water polo competition features both men’s and women’s tournaments, with teams battling through preliminary rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals to compete for the gold medal. During the 2024 Summer Olympics, we’ll be keeping an eye on the Croatian men’s water polo team, which, after a series of strong performances in previous games, won their first Olympic gold medal in London 2012.
Sailing
Sailing was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1900 during the Paris Olympics. American sailor Russell Coutts’ gold medal in the Finn class in 1984 is considered one of the greatest moments in Olympic sailing. The Olympic sailing competition includes various classes of boats, such as single-handed dinghies, double-handed dinghies, and windsurfers, with events for both men and women. Two new events will be featured in the Paris 2024 Olympics: windsurfer – iQFoil and kiteboarding.
Diving
Diving has been part of the Olympic Games since the St. Louis 1904 Olympics, initially as a men’s only event. While the women’s diving event was incorporated eight years later in the Stockholm Olympics, 13-year old Chinese diver Fu Mingxia’s performance in the 10m platform event of the Barcelona 1992 Olympics remains one of the most inspiring in Olympic history.
This year, the Paris Olympics will host diving competitions that include individual and synchronized events on both the springboard (3 meters) and the platform (10 meters) for men and women.
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READ MORE: 2024 Summer Olympic Water Sports Guide
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Footnotes:
1. https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/sports
Gabriela dos Santos is an experienced Editor known for her insightful and engaging writing. Gabriela has been working in editorial writing for 3 years, with a background in writing for magazines and media outlets. In 2022, she joined the Boatsetter Team, bringing her dedication, passion for storytelling and factual accuracy to the Boatsetter Blog. She is always on the lookout for stories of connection and community; to inform, to entertain, to inspire! In her free time, Gabriela loves traveling and spending time by (or on) the water.
