Demonstration sport
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A demonstration sport is a sport which is played in order to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.
Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Scandinavian wrestling, in the Olympic program, but with its medals not counting as "official". Most organizing committees then decided to include at least one demonstration sport at each edition of the Games, usually some typical or very popular sport in the host country, like baseball at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and taekwondo at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. From 1912 to 1992, only two editions of the Summer Olympics did not have demonstration sports on their program. Some demonstration sports, like the ones above, 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. These medals are never included in the medal count.
Demonstration sports were suspended in 1992, 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. [1] It is unlikely that they will be reintroduced as a requirement for future Olympic organizing committees. However, the Beijing Olympic Committee has received permission to organize a wushu competition, but it will not be considered a demonstration or exhibition sport at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. [2], [3]
Since the 1984 Summer Olympics, two Paralympic events (a men's and a women's wheelchair racing event) have been included in the athletics (track and field) programme of each Games. These events are considered by many as a demonstration sport, but are, 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.
Contents |
[edit] Summer Olympics
Here is the list of demonstration sports played at the Summer Olympic Games:
[edit] Winter Olympics
Here is the list of demonstration sports played at the Winter Olympic Games:
| Games | Demonstration Sports |
|---|---|
| 1924 Chamonix | none |
| 1928 St. Moritz | • military patrol (men) • skijoring (men) |
| 1932 Lake Placid | • curling (men) • sled-dog racing (men) • speed skating (women) |
| 1936 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'Ampezzo | none |
| 1960 Squaw Valley | none |
| 1964 Innsbruck | • ice stock sport (men) |
| 1968 Grenoble | none |
| 1972 Sapporo | none |
| 1976 Innsbruck | none |
| 1980 Lake Placid | none |
| 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 & nordic skiing (men and women) |
| 1992 Albertville | • curling (men and women) • speed skiing (men and women) • freestyle skiing – aerials and ski ballet (men and women) |
| 1994 Lillehammer | none |
| 1998 Nagano | none |
| 2002 Salt Lake City | none |
| 2006 Turin | none |
