Here are the 6 new sports at the Tokyo Olympics and how they'll work
- The Tokyo Olympics are set to begin July 23, and will include six new sports.
- 3v3 basketball, sport climbing, karate, surfing, skateboarding, and freestyle BMX all make their debut.
- Each of the sports will feature men and women, and some have multiple disciplines within them.
The Tokyo Olympics are set to kick off on July 23, one year after they were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
These summer games will have six new sports, proposed by the Tokyo organizers to add events that are popular in Japan.
Here's what will be new at Tokyo 2021:
1. 3-on-3 basketball
How it'll work: Rosters consist of four players. Games are played to 21 or the team in the lead after 10 minutes.
One thing to know: The game is scored in 1s and 2s instead of 2s and 3s, as in 5-on-5 basketball.
2. Surfing
Who will be competing: Men and women, 40 surfers (2o each). The field consists of qualifiers from several international tournaments. Australia, Brazil, France, Japan, Peru, and the US all have two surfers in both the men's and women's fields.
How it'll work: There will be three rounds. Surfers can catch up to 25 waves and will be judged on factors like difficulty, creativity, and flow of their maneuvers, though there are no prescribed scores for tricks. Surfers' two highest scores will count toward their final score, which will determine who moves on.
One thing to know: Perhaps more than any other sport, surfing is dependent upon the conditions, and it's possible rounds can be moved to other days if conditions are not ideal. Reserve days are in place for all rounds of the competition.
3. Skateboarding
How it'll work: There are two disciplines: street and park. Street skating consists of stairs, rails, and ramps, while park uses a bowl. Skaters will be judged on the difficulty, speed, execution, and overall flow of their runs. Skaters will get three timed runs to post their best score.
One thing to know: Skateboarding might have the widest age range of competitors in these Olympics - the field consists of two 12-year-olds as well as a 46-year-old.
4. Climbing
Who will be competing: Men and women, 20 of each.
How it'll work: There are three disciplines - speed, bouldering, and lead climbing - but only one set of medals.
- Speed: Two climbers race up an identical, vertical wall to see who reaches the top first.
- Bouldering: Climbers "solve" boulder "problems," working their way through difficult, unique courses to get to the top. The goal is to solve as many as possible in a certain amount of time. Climbers do not use safety ropes.
- Lead: Climbers climb a 15-meter wall and must reach the top under a time limit. It's the most traditional form of climbing.
One thing to know: The gold medal will be given to the best overall climber in the three disciplines.
5. Karate
How it'll work: There are two disciplines: kata and kumite. Kata is a solo form of the discipline in which karatekas perform offensive and defensive moves and are judged by technique. Kumite pits two karatekas against each other in a three-minute bout where they must strike each other for points. The first to eight points wins.
One thing to know: The quest to get karate in the Olympics began in the 1970s, but was not successful until the IOC approved it in 2016 for the Tokyo Games.
6. Freestyle BMX
Who will be competing: Men and women, nine riders each.
How it'll work: Riders will have two 60-second runs to make their way through a park, performing tricks that are judged by difficulty, execution, style, air, and more.
One thing to know: Riders typically do a more conservative first run, then base their second run on scores and how the rest of the field did.
BONUS: Baseball and Softball
While not technically new - both sports were last played in the 2008 Olympics - baseball and softball will be making a return in Tokyo. Six countries will play in both sports.