Sports, programme and results

• Sports on the programme in PyeongChang 2018
• Sports on the programme in Tokyo 2020

Find out more about how the sports on the Olympic Games programme are selected and the IOC’s rules:

• Olympic Charter: Chapter 5, Rule 45 and its Bye-law

Learn more:

• Factsheet: The programme of the Games of the Olympiad
• Factsheet: The programme of the Olympic Winter Games
• Reference documents on the history of sports at the Summer Games
• Reference documents on the history of sports at the Winter Games

A sport is that which is governed by an International Federation (IF).
A discipline is a branch of a sport comprising one or more events.
An event is a competition in a sport or discipline that gives rise to a ranking.

Thus, skiing is a sport, while cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping and Nordic combined are disciplines. Alpine skiing is a discipline, while the super-G, giant slalom, slalom and combined are events.

Learn more:

• Education Series: The Modern Olympic Games, p. 9
• For more information on the Olympic programme, please see the Olympic Charter, Chapter 5, Rule 45 and its Bye-law

You can find all Olympic medallists and the results of the latest Games editions on our website at this link. 

This is a wish shared by many sports enthusiasts, and the IOC appreciates this enthusiasm. As a result, it tries to make the programme of the Games evolve within the limits and rules established.

First of all, a sport must be governed by an International Federation  which undertakes to follow the rules of the Olympic Charter, a basic condition for recognition by the IOC. It must also be practised widely across the world and meet various criteria. After that, the IOC ‘s Executive Board may recommend that a recognised sport be added to the Games programme, if the IOC Session approves it.

Learn more:

• Chapter 5 of the Olympic Charter, Rule 45 and its Bye-law
• The IOC Commission for the Olympic Programme
• List of the International Sports Federations recognised by the IOC (see the "Contact Directory")

The first eight athletes in each event receive a diploma, and their names are announced to the public. Only the first three athletes receive a medal as well.

Since the 1932 Winter Games in Lake Placid (USA), the medal award ceremony has always been made on a podium. The first-placed athlete, on the highest step in the centre, receives a gold medal and the title of Olympic champion. The second-place athlete stands to the winner’s right, and receives a silver medal; while the third-placed athlete stands to the left and receives a bronze medal. The flags of all three athletes are raised, and the winner’s national anthem is played.

Learn more:

• Reference document: Olympic Summer Games Medals from Athens 1896 to London 2012
• Reference document: Olympic Winter Games Medals from Chamonix 1924 to Sochi 2014
• Education Series: the Modern Olympic Games (pp.16-17)
• Olympic Charter: Chapter 5, Rules 56 and 57

To be recognised by the IOC, a sport must first of all be governed by an International Federation (IF). This is required in order to conform to the Rules of the Olympic Charter and the World Anti-Doping Code.

Learn more:

• For more information on IF recognition, please refer to the Olympic Charter, Chapter 3, Rule 25
  
• List of the International Sports Federations recognised by the IOC (see the "Contact Directory")

The International Sports Federations (IFs) are responsible for the governance and technical management of their sport at the Olympic Games. As such, all questions or comments should be addressed directly to the IFs.

Learn more:

• The International Sports Federations
• List of the IFs and contact (see the "Contact Directory")
• The Olympic sports 
• The Olympic Charter, Chapter 3, Rule 26 

• Winter: in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea, from the 9th to 25th of February 2018: PyeongChang 2018 official website
• Summer: in Tokyo, Japan, from the 24th July to 9th of August 2020: Tokyo 2020 official website
• Winter: in Beijing, People's Republic of China, from the 4th to the 20th of February 2022: Beijing 2022 official website

The following events have been added to the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic programme:

• curling mixed doubles (men’s and women’s)
• speed skating mass start (men's and women's)
• alpine skiing nations team event (men's and women's)
• snowboard big air (men's and women's)

These modifications were approved by the IOC Executive Board (EB) in June 2015. The EB also decided to remove the snowboard parallel slalom (M/W) in agreement with the International Ski Federation (FIS).

The changes reflect the continued evolution of the Olympic Winter programme and build on the success of recent editions of the Games. They also build on the reforms outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020 which aim to create more flexibility in the programme of the Olympic Games.

Learn more:

• IOC News 08.06.2015
• The Olympic sports

The Olympic Games take place from 9 to 25 February 2018.

Learn more:

• PyeongChang 2018 official website

The Rio 2016 competition schedule is available at the following link:

• Rio 2016 competition schedule

The majority of events took place in the Barra zone, where competitions in 22 disciplines were hosted across 12 sports venues. Competitions in the other 20 disciplines were held in 18 venues across Copacabana, Deodoro and Maracanã. Three events were held across two zones: road cycling was staged in Barra and Copacabana; basketball in Barra and Deodoro; and water polo in Barra and Maracanã. In the football tournaments, besides Rio de Janeiro, matches were played in the cities of Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Salvador and Manaus.

Learn more:

• Rio 2016 Venues

88 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) took part in the Winter Games in Sochi.

2,780 athletes attended these Winter Games between 7 and 23 February 2014.

Learn more:

• The “athletes” page on olympic.org

The IOC does not establish any ranking by country, as stipulated by the Olympic Charter (Chapter 5, Rule 57).

To find out the number of medals won by the athletes of each National Olympic Committee (NOC) per Games edition, visit each NOC’s page (choose those you are interested in at that page), then go to the “Medals” list at the bottom of the page.

You can also consult the NOCs’ websites.