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Sports of the Olympic Games

Cycling Olympic Poster At the first Olympic Games in 1896, there were nine sports contested. Since that time many sports have been added (and removed too) from the program. Only five sports have been contested at every summer Olympic games since 1896: Athletics, Cycling, Fencing, Gymnastics and Swimming. In 2012 there will be 26 sports contested (see list). There are pages about the number of sports at each Olympiad, and also the changes over time.

Recently, after the 2008 Olympics the sports of Baseball and Softball were dropped from the program. The IOC can vote to include or drop specific sports from the Olympic program. See details of sport selections. In August 2009, the IOC voted on which two sports will be added to the program for Rio 2016. There was a list of seven sports that they chose from: golf, rugby union, roller sports, karate, softball, baseball and squash. They selected golf and rugby union.