Rio Olympics Guide: Every sport played at the 2016 Games
Find out every sport being played at the Olympics, the reigning champion of that sport, and what country has the most gold medals
Tarek Ali Ahmad
Published:
Updated:
Archery
First introduced: 1900 Paris Olympics – dropped after 1924 and re-instated at 1972 Munich Olympics
Reigning champion: South Korea
Most Gold medals: South Korea – 19 gold medals (since 1972)
South Korea's Im Dong Hyun takes aim during the men's archery team quaterfinals at the Lords Cricket Ground during the London 2012 Olympics Games July 28, 2012. (Reuters)
Badminton
First introduced: 1992 Barcelona Olympics
Reigning champion: China
Most Gold medals: China – 16 gold medals
China's Wang Xin returns a shot to India's Saina Nehwal during their women's singles badminton bronze medal match at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Wembley Arena August 4, 2012. (Reuters)
Basketball
First introduced: 1936 Berlin Olympics
Reigning champion: USA (Men’s), USA (Women’s)
Most Gold medals: USA (Men’s) – 14 gold medals, USA (Women’s) – 7 gold medals
U.S. Olympic basketball player Kevin Durant (R) challenges Argentina's Luis A. Scola during an exhibition game ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona July 22, 2012. REUTERS
Boxing
First introduced: 1904 St. Louis Olympics
Reigning champion: Great Britain
Most Gold medals: USA – 50 gold medals
Russia's Egor Mekhontcev (L) fights Kazakhstan's Adilbek Niyazymbetov during their Men's Light Heavy (81kg) gold medal boxing match at the London Olympics August 12, 2012. (Reuters)
Canoe / Kayak
First introduced: 1936 Montreal Olympics
Reigning champion: Germany
Most Gold medals: The former Soviet Union – 29 gold medals
Russia's Yury Postrigay and Alexander Dyachenko row in the men's kayak double (K2) 200m event at Eton Dorney during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 11, 2012. (Reuters)
Cycling (Track, Road, Mountain, BMX)
First introduced: 1896 Athens Olympics
Reigning champion: Great Britain
Most Gold medals: France – 41 gold medals
Czech Republic's Jaroslav Kulhavy (L) glances back at Switzerland's Nino Schurter as they approach the finish line during the men's cross-country mountain bike event at Hadleigh Farm at the London 2012 Olympic Games August 12, 2012. Kulhavy won the gold medal in the race, with Schurter taking the silver. (Reuters)
Diving
First introduced: 1904 St. Louis Olympics
Reigning champion: China
Most Gold medals: USA – 49 gold medals
Russia's Yulia Koltunova performs a dive during the women's 10m platform semi-final at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre August 9, 2012. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT DIVING)
Equestrian (Dressage, Jumping and Eventing)
First introduced: 1900 Paris Olympics
Reigning champion: Great Britain
Most Gold medals: Germany – 23 gold medals
Japan's Shinichi Tomii riding Loughnatousa Romeo competes in the riding event of the men's modern pentathlon during the London 2012 Olympics at Greenwich Park August 11, 2012. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS SPORT EQUESTRIANISM PORT MODERN PENTATHLON)
Fencing
First introduced: 1896 Athens Olympics
Reigning champion: Italy
Most Gold medals: Italy – 48 gold medals
South Korea's Hwang Woojin (L) competes against Dennis Bowsher of the U.S. during the fencing event of the men's modern pentathlon during the London 2012 Olympics at the Copper Box August 11, 2012. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS PORT MODERN PENTATHLON SPORT FENCING)
Field hockey
First introduced: 1908 London Olympics
Reigning champion: Germany (Men’s), Netherlands (Women’s)
Most Gold medals: India – 8 gold medals
Germany's Matthias Witthaus (L) challenges Netherlands' Robbert Kemperman during their men's gold medal hockey match at the Riverbank Arena at the London 2012 Olympic Games August 11, 2012. REUTERS
Golf
First introduced: 1900 Paris Olympics – dropped after 1904 and reinstated at 2016 Rio Olympics
Reigning champion: USA
Most Gold medals: USA – 3 gold medals
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy tees off on the second hole during the final round of the 2011 U.S. Open golf tournament at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, June 19, 2011. REUTERS/
Gymnastics
First introduced: 1896 Athens Olympics
Reigning champion: China
Most Gold medals: The former Soviet Union - 72 gold medals
Jacob Dalton competes on the rings during the 2016 USA Gymnastics Olympic Team Trials at Chaifetz Arena,. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Handball
First introduced: 1936 Berlin Olympics
Reigning champion: France (Men’s), Norway (Women’s)
Most Gold medals: The former Soviet Union – 4 gold medals
Croatia's Blazenko Lackovic scores against Hungary during their men's bronze medal handball match during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Basketball Arena August 12, 2012. REUTERS
Judo
First introduced: 1964 Tokyo Olympics
Reigning champion: Russia
Most Gold medals: Japan – 34 gold medals
Brazil's Rafael Silva (white) fights with South Korea's Kim Sung-min during their men's +100kg bronze medal judo match at the London 2012 Olympic Games August 3, 2012. REUTERS
Modern Pentathlon
First introduced: 1912 Stockholm Olympics
Reigning champion: Czech Republic (Men’s), Lithuania (Women’s)
Most Gold medals: Hungary and Sweden – 9 gold medals
Modern Pentathalon at the Rio Olympics 2016. (www.rio2016.com)
Rowing
First introduced: 1900 Paris Olympics
Reigning champion: Great Britain
Most Gold medals: The former East Germany – 33 gold medals
Team Canada row with their silver medals after the victory ceremony following the women's eight finals rowing event during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney August 2, 2012. (Reuters)
Rugby Union
First introduced: 1900 Paris Olympics
Reigning champion: USA
Most Gold medals: USA – 2 gold medals
New Zealand's Pete Hiku is tackled by England's George Williams. (Reuters)
Sailing
First introduced: 1900 Paris Olympics
Reigning champion: Australia
Most Gold medals: Great Britain – 25 gold medals
Argentina's Lucas Calabrese and Juan de la Fuente, foreground, and Great Britain's Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell compete during the 470 men's class medal race at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 10, 2012, in Weymouth and Portland, England. Australia's Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page won the gold medal, Great Britain's won the silver and Argentina's won the bronze. (AP)
Shooting
First introduced: 1896 Athens Olympics
Reigning champion: South Korea
Most Gold medals: USA – 53 gold medals
Competitors take aim in the combination running and shooting stage of the women's modern pentathlon, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, in London. (AP
Football
First introduced: 1900 Paris Olympics
Reigning champion: Mexico (Men’s), USA (Women’s)
Most Gold medals: Hungary (Men’s) – 3 gold medals, USA (Women’s) – 4 gold medals
In his May 31, 2014 picture Mexico midfielder Marco Fabian controls the ball against Ecuador during a friendly soccer match in Arlington, Texas. Eintracht Frankfurt has signed Mexico midfielder Marco Fabian, the Bundesliga club says Thursday Dec. 24, 2015. The attacking midfielder signed a contract through mid-2019. Fabian last played for CD Cruz Azul on loan from Deportivo Guadalajara. He was on the Mexican team at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and won gold with Mexico at the 2012 London Olympics. (AP)
Swimming
First introduced: 1896
Reigning champion: USA
Most Gold medals: USA – 230 gold medals
Michael Phelps competes in a heat of the men's 400-meter individual medley at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. AP
Synchronized swimming
First introduced: 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
Reigning champion: Russia
Most Gold medals: Russia – 8 gold medals
Japan's team performs their Free Routine during the Synchronized Swimming Olympic Games Qualification Tournament at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, March 6, 2016. AP
Table Tennis
First introduced: 1988 Seoul Olympics
Reigning champion: China
Most Gold medals: China – 24 gold medals
Ma Long of China competes against Ryu Seungmin of South Korea, left, in the men's team table tennis gold medal match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, in London. (AP)
Taekwondo
First introduced: 2000 Sydney Olympics
Reigning champion: Spain
Most Gold medals: South Korea – 10 gold medals
Ma Long of China competes against Ryu Seungmin of South Korea, left, in the men's team table tennis gold medal match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, in London. (AP)
Tennis
First introduced: 1896 – but was dropped after 1924 and re-instated in 1988
Reigning champion: USA
Most Gold medals: USA - 20 gold medals
Switzerland's Roger Federer returns in the third round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Bosnia and Herzegovina's Damir Dzumhur at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France, Friday, May 29, 2015. (AP)
Track and Field
First introduced: 1896 Athens Olympics
Reigning champion: USA
Most Gold medals: USA – 320 gold medals
Usain Bolt of Jamaica, centre,runs onto win the men's 200 meter race during the Diamond League anniversary games at The Stadium, in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Friday, July 22, 2016. (AP)
Triathlon
First introduced: 2000 Sydney Olympics
Reigning champion: Great Britain
Most Gold medals: Switzerland – 2 gold medals
Olympic trialthlon at the Rio Olympics 2016. (www.rio2016.com)
Volleyball
First introduced: 1964 Tokyo Olympics
Reigning champion: Brazil
Most Gold medals: The former Soviet Union – 7 gold medals
Miyu Nagaoka of Japan spikes against Park Jeong-ah of South Korea during their Women's Volleyball World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tokyo, Tuesday, May 17, 2016. (AP)
Water polo
First introduced: 1900 Paris Olympics
Reigning champion: Croatia (Men’s), USA (Women’s)
Most Gold medals: Hungary – 9 gold medals
Serbia's Filip Filipovic, bottom, scores on a penalty against Montenegro goalkeeper Milos Scepanovic during the men's water polo bronze medal match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, in London. (AP
Weightlifting
First introduced: 1896 Athens Olympics
Reigning champion: China
Most Gold medals: The former Soviet Union – 39 gold medals
China's Liao Hui competes in the snatch during the men's group A 69-kilogram category of the World Weightlifting Championships in Goyang, west of Seoul, South Korea. (AP)
Wrestling
First introduced: 1896 Athens Olympics
Reigning champion: Russia
Most Gold medals: The former Soviet Union – 62 gold medals
Jesse Thielke, top, controls Ildar Hafizov during their 59-kilogram Greco Roman finals match at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials, Saturday, April 9, 2016, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP)
