DEMONSTRATION SPORT

A 'demonstration sport' is a sport which is played in order to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.
Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Scandinavian wrestling, in the Olympic program, but with its medals not counting as "official". Most organizing committees then decided to include at least one demonstration sport at each edition of the Games, usually some typical or very popular sport in the host country, like baseball at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and taekwondo at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. From 1912 to 1992, only two editions of the Summer Olympics did not have demonstration sports on their program. Some demonstration sports, like the ones above, eventually gained enough popularity to become an official sport in a subsequent edition of the Games. Traditionally, the medals awarded for the demonstration events followed the same design as the Olympic medals, but of a smaller size. These medals are never included in the medal count.
Demonstration sports were suspended in 1992, as the Olympic program grew bigger and it became more difficult for the organizing committees to give them the appropriate attention, since the IOC required the same treatment to be dispensed for official and demonstration sports. [1] It is unlikely that they will be reintroduced as a ''requirement'' for future Olympic organizing committees. However, the Beijing Olympic Committee has received permission to organize a wushu competition, but it will not be considered a demonstration or exhibition sport at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. [2], [3]
Since the 1984 Summer Olympics, two Paralympic events (a men's and a women's wheelchair racing event) have been included in the athletics (track and field) programme of each Games. These events are considered by many as a demonstration sport, but are, in fact, used to promote the Paralympic Games. Disabled events in alpine and nordic skiing (1988 only) were also held as demonstration sports at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics.

Contents
Summer Olympics
Winter Olympics
See also
Sources

Summer Olympics


Here is the list of demonstration sports played at the Summer Olympic Games:
GamesDemonstration Sports
1900 Parisballooning (men)
bowls (men)
jeu de paume (men)
lifesaving (men)
longue paume (men)
motorsport (men)
water motorsports (men)
1904 St. Louisbasketball
American football (men)
weight training with dumbbells (men)
1908 London''none''
1912 Stockholmbaseball (men)
glima (men)
1920 Antwerpkorfball (men)
1924 ParisBasque pelota (men)
la canne (men)
• Canadian canoeing and kayaking (men)
savate (men)
1928 Amsterdamkaatsen (men)
korfball (men)
lacrosse (men)
1932 Los AngelesAmerican football (men)
lacrosse (men)
1936 Berlinbaseball (men)
gliding (men)
1948 Londonlacrosse (men)
• Swedish (Ling) gymnastics (men and women)
1952 HelsinkiFinnish baseball (men)
• 11-a-side field handball (men)
1956 MelbourneAustralian rules football (men)
baseball (men)
1960 Rome ''none''
1964 Tokyobaseball (men)
budo (men)
1968 Mexico City• Basque pelota (men)
tennis (men and women)
1972 Munichbadminton (men and women)
water skiing (men and women)
1976 Montreal''none''
1980 Moscowsambo (men)[4]
1984 Los Angelesbaseball (men)
tennis (men and women)
1988 Seoulbadminton (men and women)
baseball (men)
bowling (men and women)
judo (women)
taekwondo (men and women)
1992 BarcelonaBasque pelota (men and women)
roller hockey (men)
taekwondo (men and women)
1996 Atlanta''none''
2000 Sydney''none''
2004 Athens''none''

Winter Olympics


Here is the list of demonstration sports played at the Winter Olympic Games:
GamesDemonstration Sports
1924 Chamonix''none''
1928 St. Moritzmilitary patrol (men)
skijoring (men)
1932 Lake Placidcurling (men)
sled-dog racing (men)
speed skating (women)
1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchenmilitary patrol (men)
ice stock sport (men)
1948 St. Moritzmilitary patrol (men)
winter pentathlon (men)
1952 Oslobandy (men)
1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo''none''
1960 Squaw Valley''none''
1964 Innsbruckice stock sport (men)
1968 Grenoble''none''
1972 Sapporo''none''
1976 Innsbruck''none''
1980 Lake Placid''none''
1984 Sarajevodisabled alpine skiing (men)
1988 Calgarycurling (men and women)
freestyle skiing (men and women)
short track speed skating (men and women)
disabled alpine & nordic skiing (men and women)
1992 Albertvillecurling (men and women)
speed skiing (men and women)
freestyle skiing – aerials and ski ballet (men and women)
1994 Lillehammer''none''
1998 Nagano''none''
2002 Salt Lake City''none''
2006 Turin''none''

See also



Olympic sports

Sources



International Olympic Committee

Olympic Official Reports

Official IOC site

List of Olympic medallists

This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.

psst.. try this: add to faves