The countdown to the 2020 Summer Olympics (yes, that's what they'll still be called, despite it being 2021) is on. The Opening Ceremony in Tokyo takes place on July 23 and the Games will be the biggest yet, with a record 339 medal events on the line. The increase is largely due to the introduction (or in some cases, re-introduction) of new sports to the Olympiad.
From American staples to a some niche sports getting some mainstream love, here are the new disciplines to watch next month:
Basketball - 3x3: Obviously basketball isn't anything new to the Olympics, but this updated take on the sport is. Basically think of your usual rules at the gym, and it likely applies here: it's half-court, with a "1s and 2s" point system, first to 21 wins (or the team with the higher score after 10 minutes). Each team does have one sub, so it's a four-person team.
For the women the U.S. has a couple of UConn alums in Stefanie Dolson and Katie Lou Samuelson. The men... well, the U.S. won't be there, as they were eliminated in the qualifying round, though it's not like they rolled out LeBron, Durant and Curry and lost. Ex-Purdue star Robbie Hummel highlighted a team with former college players Joey King (Minnesota), Canyon Berry (College of Charleston & Florida), Dominique Jones (Fort Hays State) and Kareem Maddox (Princeton).
Baseball: For the first time since 2008 both diamond sports will be back at the Olympics. In baseball's case, the IOC originally dropped the sport because of an unwillingness of any professional players of any kind (outside of Cuba) to partake. While that's still the case in terms of active MLB players, there are some very recognizable names across the teams (we looked at who made Team USA's preliminary roster a few weeks ago).
Softball: While softball was also cut after the 2008 Games it was for a different reason - competition. Though no "official" reason was ever stated following the secret 2005 vote, it's fairly known that many international folks thought the sport was too American, given the US overwhelmingly dominated the events in 1996, 2000 and 2004. Of course, that argument lost a lot of merit when the Americans were stunned in the gold medal game by Japan in Beijing in '08.
Karate: This might only be a brief cameo (it's not on the docket for the 2024 Games), and if that turns out to be the case, it's fitting that karate will take place in Japan, where the sport was created over 150 years ago. There will be two events for men and women: in kumite (sparring), competitors go head-to-head in three minute matches across three weight classes - down from the usual five in other international competitions. In kata, solo competitors get judged on a 5- to 10-point scale.
Skateboarding: Action sports might be the main story to come out of Tokyo, as assorted disciplines continue to explode in popularity. That includes skateboarding, which will debut in Tokyo with two events: park and street (men and women will each have their own events). And it's no one-hit wonder: though it's not a permanent sport (yet), skateboarding has already been included on the docket for the 2024 Games in Paris.
Sport Climbing: The idea of climbing obviously isn't new, but did you know it wasn't an officially organized and sanctioned sport until 1985? Now it's in the Olympics, with climbers taking part in three different disciplines, with the best combined score taking home gold.
There is some controversy, however, and the format will only be in place for 2020. The three disciplines are lead climbing (think of a rock climber, with a helmet and harness), bouldering (free climbing without any equipment) and speed climbing (as it indicated, climb as quickly as possible). Speed climbing is drastically different than the other two, with climbers expressing concerns that it's unfair for everyone involved - speed climbers will struggle at the first two, while lead climbers will struggle with speed. And the concerns were heard - come 2024 speed climbing will be separate.
Surfing: Like skateboarding, surfing was added as a provisional sport, though it will be an event in 2024, too. Four-person heats will take place, with the top two advancing to the medal rounds. As of right now only shortboarding is allowed - should the sport become a permanent event at the Games, the IOC could expand it to include longboarding and other disciplines within the surfing realm.
Freestyle BMX: No racing here - cycling gets expanded in Tokyo with the introduction of BMX. Riders will get multiple runs across a park, with their scores based on difficulty and execution of tricks.
Mixed team events: The Olympics have always been separated into two categories: men and women (with mixed doubles in tennis as the exception). That will change in Tokyo with the introduction of "mixed team" events across many disciplines.
In swimming (4x100) and track and field (4x400) two men and two women comprise the four legs of each race. In archery and shooting a man and a woman make up a team. In table tennis there is now a mixed team aspect. Judo now features three men and three women on a collective team, and all six must be in different weight classes (so a light, middle and heavyweight man and woman). And there's a four-person triathlon, where two women and two men all complete a "super sprint": a 400-km swim, a 10-km bike ride and a 2.5-km run.