"You'll get to watch 16 different sports including multiple kinds of skating, skiing and snowboarding over the course of these Winter Games. But, just for a moment, let's take a look at some of the onetime Olympic sports you won't be seeing: dog sledding, ski ballet and more. Many of those were demonstration or exhibition sports held to promote a particular sport."
"Olympic historian Bill Mallon says the practice started at the first Winter Olympics in 1924, and really became a fixture in the wake of World War II. Demonstration sports went away after 1992, which was also the last time a summer and winter Games were held in the same year. Some of today's best-known Winter Olympic events, like curling and women's speed skating, started as demonstration sports (both in Lake Placid in 1932). But many others didn't make it to a second Games."
The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will feature 16 sports, including multiple skating, skiing and snowboarding disciplines. Several sports that once appeared at the Olympics no longer feature, such as dog sledding and ski ballet, many previously staged as demonstration or exhibition events. Demonstration events began at the first Winter Games in 1924 and became common after World War II, often showcasing host-country sports or trialing disciplines for the Olympic program. Demonstration events ended after 1992. The IOC governs addition and removal of sports, requiring anti-doping compliance and men's and women's events while weighing cost, viewership and youth appeal.
Read at www.npr.org
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