As the 2024 Paris Olympics captivate audiences worldwide, there’s a parallel universe of competition that thrives just outside the Olympic limelight. This campaign shines a light on the dynamic world of non-Olympic sports that are shaping modern athletic pursuits and cultural trends—from the explosive growth of padel in France to the skillful maneuvers of parkour globally.
2024 Paris Olympics Overview
The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature 45 sports, with three significant changes from the Tokyo 2020 games: the exclusion of baseball, softball, and karate. Notably, the event will mark the Olympic debut of breaking, a dynamic form of dance competition. Additionally, popular sports from Tokyo 2020 like surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing will continue to feature in the Paris 2024 lineup.
45: Sports is featured at 2024 Paris Olympics
1: One new sport (breaking) will debut at 2024 Paris Olympics
Methodology for identifying popular non-Olympic summer sports
Our comprehensive analysis began with an initial list of over 1,300 sports practiced globally. From this list, we excluded motorized sports, board games, non-competitive activities, and sports already included in the Olympic Games. We then assessed the remaining sports based on their governance by international federations, their non-motorized nature, and the requirement for physical athleticism – at this stage we ended up with 172 sports. Finally, we analyzed search volumes in France and globally to determine their popularity.
1300+: Sports are practiced globally
172: Sports potentially meeting IOC criteria for Olympic inclusion
Most Popular Non-Olympic Summer Sports in France
In France, padel leads as the fastest-growing non-Olympic sport, with an astonishing 156.41% increase in popularity over the past two years. Meanwhile, bowling remains widely popular due to the extensive availability of facilities. Other notable sports in the French top eight include airsoft and paddleboarding.
In France, padel leads as the fastest-growing non-Olympic sport, with an astonishing 156.41% increase in popularity over the past two years
Most Popular Non-Olympic Summer Sports Worldwide
Globally, parkour is gaining momentum. Although not yet a trending sport, the worldwide interest in parkour is impressive. Given the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) focus on youth-oriented sports—as demonstrated by the inclusion of breaking in 2024—parkour may soon receive greater promotion as a potential Olympic sport, although it is currently considered too nascent for inclusion.
Pickleball ranks as the top non-Olympic racket sport, primarily due to its immense popularity in the United States.
Noteworthy is the overlap between the French and global preferences: padel also ranks in the top five worldwide. Looking ahead to the 2028 Games, which are already set, the Padel Federation must take steps towards compliance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards to further its Olympic aspirations.
SOURCE: FFPADEL.COM
