OSC REFERENCE COLLECTION

Sharing history, enriching the future

DEMONSTRATION
SPORTS: History at the
Olympic Summer
Games
01.10.2020
DEMONSTRATION SPORTS: History at the
Olympic Summer Games

The Olympic Studies Centre is part of the Olympic Foundation for Culture
and Heritage and is the official centre of reference for Olympic knowledge.

The Olympic Studies Centre www.olympic.org/studies [email protected] 2

OSC REFERENCE COLLECTION

The “OSC Reference collection” is published by The Olympic Studies Centre, your centre of
reference for Olympic knowledge. It gathers a series of documents providing key historical
facts and figures related to different aspects of the Olympic Games, the Olympic Movement
and the IOC.

In the same collection:

Demonstration sports: history at the Olympic Winter Games

Elections of the Presidents of the IOC: candidates and voting results
History of the sports at the Summer Olympic Games
History of the sports at the Winter Olympic Games
Olympic Summer Games Villages
Olympic Winter Games Villages
Olympic Summer Games medals
Olympic Winter Games medals
Olympic Winter Games posters
Olympic Summer Games posters
Olympic Summer Games mascots
Olympic Winter Games mascots
The IOC, the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games
The Olympic programme evolution
The Olympic stadiums of the Summer Games
The sports pictograms of the Olympic Summer Games
The sports pictograms of the Olympic Winter Games
Torches and torch relays of the Olympic Summer Games
Torches and torch relays of the Olympic Winter Games
Youth Olympic Games medals
Youth Olympic Games mascots

All reference documents, as well as the full collection of digital and printed publications of The
Olympic Studies Centre are available on The Olympic World Library (OWL), our library
catalogue entirely devoted to Olympic knowledge: www.olympic.org/library

This content (the “Content”) is made available to you (“You”) by the International Olympic Committee (the “IOC”) for
non-commercial, educational, research, analysis, review or reporting purposes only. The Content shall not be re-
distributed, as made available to you by the IOC, in part or in whole, except to the extent that such content is a
derivative work created by You. Re-distribution of compilations of the Content made available to you is expressly
excluded. You must give appropriate credit, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable
manner, but not in any way that suggests the IOC and its affiliated entities including The Olympic Studies Centre
(“OSC”) endorses you or your use. The IOC by means of the OSC endeavours to provide you with accurate and up-to-
date information. The IOC and the OSC make no warranties or representations about and assumes no liability for the
information included in the Content, neither its accuracy nor completeness.

© 2020 International Olympic Committee

The Olympic Studies Centre www.olympic.org/studies [email protected] 3

DEMONSTRATION SPORTS: History at the Olympic Summer Games

CONTENT

SMMER DEMONSTRARTION SPORTS 5

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 5

SPORTS AND EVENTS PER GAMES EDITION 6

HIGHLIGHTS AT THE GAMES 8

DID YOU ALSO KNOW? 8

SOURCES 9

CREDITS 10

The Olympic Studies Centre www.olympic.org/studies [email protected] 4

DEMONSTRATION SPORTS: History at the Olympic Summer Games

S U M M E R D E M O N S T R AT I O N S P O R T S

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

For many years, in addition to events on the official sports programme, an Olympic Games
Organising Committee (OCOG) had the choice to include what were defined in the Olympic
Charter as demonstration sports. These demonstrations were not part of the official sports
programme and they were distinct from other sporting displays or exhibitions that an OCOG
may have also chosen to hold during the Games.

This reference document is designed to trace the evolution of the rules surrounding these
demonstration sports and their events, present those that were included and highlight some of
the more unique choices that were made by the OCOGs.

KEY
EVOLUTION
DATES

1921 & 1924 At the 1921 Olympic Congress the Commission charged with studying the
organization of the Games introduced the option of demonstration sports.
This resulted in the insertion into the 1924 Olympic Charter of a stipulation
(Rule 6) that an OCOG could chose to organize demonstrations of two
sports that were not included in the Olympic sports programme. One
demonstration was to be a national sport and the other to be one that was
foreign to the organizing country.

1949 Beginning with the 1949 Olympic Charter it was additionally stipulated that
no Olympic medals were to be given for demonstrations.

1971- IOC members’ concern about the growing size of the Games led to the 1971
1972 IOC Session decision to eliminate demonstration sports and the removal of
all rules relating to them starting with the 1972 Olympic Charter.

1981 Following expressions of OCOG interest in staging demonstration sports

again, the decision was taken at the 1981 IOC Session to re-include them.

1982 As a result of the 1981 decision, a rule concerning demonstration sports was
reinserted into the 1982 Olympic Charter. Rule 48 stipulated that not more
than two recognised sports could be chosen and the demonstrations were to
be at either a national or international level. They were not to be considered
an official part of the Games and the rules on selection, accreditation, prizes
and protocol had to be different from those of the Olympic sports.

1984 Demonstration sports made their summer re-appearance at the Games of

the XXIII Olympiad where the OCOG chose to include tennis and baseball.

1989 & Following the decision by the 1989 IOC Session to eliminate demonstration
1992 sports again they made their last appearance at the 1992 Summer Games.

The Olympic Studies Centre www.olympic.org/studies [email protected] 5

DEMONSTRATION SPORTS: History at the Olympic Summer Games

SPORTS AND EVENTS PER GAMES

EDITION

TOTAL
1924

1928

1932

1936

1948

1952

1956

1964

1968

1972

1984

1988

1992
Badminton
• Singles Men 1
• Singles Women 1
• Doubles Men 1
• Doubles Mixed 1
Baseball
• Men 5
• Finnish Men 1
Basque pelota
• Frontenis Doubles Men 2
• Frontenis Doubles Women 1
• Hand Singles Men 1
• Hand Doubles (Trinquet) Men 1
• Hand Doubles (Short Fronton) Men 2
• Hand Triples Men 1
• Blé Triples Men 1
• Palette Men 1
• Pala Men 1
• Pala Corta Men 1
• Cesta Punta / Jai-Alai Men 2
• Cesta Punta Triples Men 1
• Palette-rubber Men 2
• Palette-leather Men 2
Boxing French Men 1
Budo 1
Canne Men 1
Canoe
• Canoe Single Men 1
• Canoe Double Men 1
• Canoe Four Men 1
• Kayak Single Men 1
• Kayak Double Men 1
• Kayak Four Men 1
Gliding Men 1
Gymnastics Swedish (Ling) Mixed 1
Football
• American Men 1
• Australian Rules Men 1
Handball
• Field Men 1

The Olympic Studies Centre www.olympic.org/studies [email protected] 6

DEMONSTRATION SPORTS: History at the Olympic Summer Games

TOTAL
1924

1928

1932

1936

1948

1952

1956

1964

1968

1972

1984

1988

1992
Judo
• Extra-lightweight Women 1
• Half-lightweight Women 1
• Lightweight Women 1
• Half-middleweight Women 1
• Middleweight Women 1
• Half-heavyweight Women 1
• Heavyweight Women 1
Korfball Mixed 1
Lacrosse Men 3
Roller Hockey Men 1
Taekwondo
• Finweight Men 2
• Finweight Women 2
• Flyweight Men 2
• Flyweight Women 2
• Bantamweight Men 2
• Bantamweight Women 2
• Featherweight Men 2
• Featherweight Women 2
• Lightweight Men 2
• Lightweight Women 2
• Welterweight Men 2
• Welterweight Women 2
• Middleweight Men 2
• Middleweight Women 2
• Heavyweight Men 2
• Heavyweight Women 2
Tennis
• Singles Men 2 2
• Singles Women 2 2
• Doubles Men 2 1
• Doubles Women 2 1
• Doubles Mixed 2 1
Water Skiing
• Figure Skiing Men 1
• Figure Skiing Women 1
• Slalom Men 1
• Slalom Men 1
• Jump Men 1
• Jump Women 1
Number of events 12 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 15 10 3 24 27

Column “Total” = number of times on the programme

The Olympic Studies Centre www.olympic.org/studies [email protected] 7

DEMONSTRATION SPORTS: History at the Olympic Summer Games

H I G H L I G H T S AT T H E G A M E S

- Before the IOC decision that in addition to the sports on the Olympic Programme an
Organizing Committee could include up to two demonstration sports, displays and
exhibitions were already being included by Organisers of the Olympic Games. In addition
to gymnastics displays, spectators at the Games were introduced to sports such as cycle
polo, Icelandic Glima wresting, equestrian trotting and Gottland Games events.

- It was all still a go for water skiing and badminton at the Games of the XX Olympiad
Munich 1972 as the IOC Session’s decision in 1971 to eliminate demonstration sports
would only become applicable starting from the 1976 Summer Games.

- Following a recommendation from the IOC Olympic Programme Commission and a

request to the Organising Committee demonstrations of women’s judo events were
approved for addition to the two sports of taekwondo and baseball that the Seoul OCOG
had proposed as demonstrations for the Games in 1988.

- Like the previous case for Munich, the 1989 IOC Session decision to eliminate
demonstration sports did not impact the plans of Barcelona’s Organising Committee to
hold events in 1992. With approval from the IOC to include three rather than two sports the
twenty-seven demonstration events for the Games of the XXV Olympiad were the largest
number ever to be held at one Games edition.

DID YOU ALSO KNOW?

- The sport of Basque pelota has been demonstrated at three editions of the Games, with
the selection of events being slightly different each time. The events have featured a
number of the different types of equipment that define which type of pelota is being played.
From Cesta Punta, using a basket-like catcher, to Frontenis, using a racket and Pala,
using a paddle, or events where only the hand is used to hit the ball, the variety in the of
choice of events by the OCOGs has demonstrated the broad range of the sport.

- Martial arts have been a choice for many OCOGs as demonstration sports with some
being more well-known than others. Of the lesser known ones a form of kickboxing known
as French boxing or savate and Canne which uses a cane for fighting were chosen for the
Games in Paris in 1924. In Tokyo, in 1964, Kendo (fencing), Kyudo (archery) and Sumo
(wrestling) where demonstrated as examples of the Japanese martial arts or Budo as
these arts are also called.

- Whether it was Korfball, Finnish baseball, American or Australian rules football, the
Olympic Charter stipulation that one of the two demonstrations should be a national sport
opened the way for some sports such that were little known outside of one or a small
number of countries or national variations on more globally known sport to be introduced
to the world.

The Olympic Studies Centre www.olympic.org/studies [email protected] 8

DEMONSTRATION SPORTS: History at the Olympic Summer Games

SOURCES

- The Olympic Charter – all editions of the Charter are available electronically for online
consultation via the links in the Key Collections section on the Olympic World Library
(OWL).

- 95th IOC Session Meeting Minutes, Puerto Rico, 30 August – 1 September 1989.

- The Olympic Games Official Report – published by the each OCOG, the Reports for
Summer Games editions are available electronically for online consultation via the links in
the Key Collections section on the Olympic World Library (OWL).

- Process verbal du Congres Olympique 1921, Lausanne, 2-7 June 1921.

The Olympic Studies Centre www.olympic.org/studies [email protected] 9

DEMONSTRATION SPORTS: History at the Olympic Summer Games

CREDITS

ABOUT THE OSC

The IOC Olympic Studies Centre is the source of reference for Olympic knowledge. We share
this knowledge with professionals and researchers through providing information, giving
access to our unique collections, enabling research and stimulating intellectual exchange. As
an integral part of the IOC, we are uniquely placed to provide the most accurate, relevant and
up-to-date information on Olympism. Our collections cover all the key themes related to the
Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement and their place within society. Discover all our
collections in the Olympic World Library (OWL), a library catalogue and information portal
entirely dedicated to Olympic knowledge. Among the resources you can find the official
documentation of the IOC and the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games as well as
publications from internationally renowned researchers.

To learn more on the Olympic Studies Centre, consult our webpage www.olympic.org/studies
or write us at [email protected].

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

This content (the “Content”) is made available to you (“You”) by the International Olympic Committee (the “IOC”) for
non-commercial, educational, research, analysis, review or reporting purposes only. The Content shall not be re-
distributed, as made available to you by the IOC, in part or in whole, except to the extent that such content is a
derivative work created by You. Re-distribution of compilations of the Content made available to you is expressly
excluded. You must give appropriate credit, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable
manner, but not in any way that suggests the IOC and its affiliated entities including The Olympic Studies Centre
(“OSC”) endorses you or your use. The IOC by means of the OSC endeavours to provide you with accurate and up-to-
date information. The IOC and the OSC make no warranties or representations about and assumes no liability for the
information included in the Content, neither its accuracy nor completeness.

© 2020 International Olympic Committee

The Olympic Studies Centre www.olympic.org/studies [email protected] 10

Your source for Olympic knowledge
www.olympic.org/studies