Sport and Games Atlas

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Not an Olympic Sport

Olympic programme status records whether a sport is actually part of the Olympic Games. Wikipedia notes the men's football World Cup is "the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games," a comparison that only makes sense because football itself is contested at the Olympics too. This dimension separates sports on the Olympic programme from those that have never been included.

Facts
Comparison
Era of Origin
2500 BCE 1
Defining Characteristic
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. 1
Not an Olympic Sport
Filter Results4 entries
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Combat sport
Wikipedia
  • Combat sport, History section, boxing sentence
    Boxing contests date back to ancient Sumer in the 3rd millennium BCE and ancient Egypt circa 1350 BCE.
  • Combat sport, lead section
    A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What determines whether a sport belongs in the Combat Sports category?

Any codified one-on-one striking, grappling or throwing discipline belongs here; sports without direct physical contact to score do not.

Combat Sports covers sports in which two athletes compete directly against each other through striking, grappling or throwing under a formal rule set, such as boxing, judo, martial arts, taekwondo and wrestling. Any codified one-on-one combat discipline belongs here, while sports where opponents do not physically contact each other to score are excluded no matter how intense the competition.