With the Paris Olympics currently in session, national pride and celebration looms over our heads as we watch athletes around the world compete in various sporting events. Just last week, we watched as the Black Ferns won New Zealand’s first medal at this year’s Games (and they won gold, woohoo!!). However, while the excitement runs deep, there are a few sporting events that seem a tiny bit… out of place, in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. This begs the question: what makes a sport a sport?  

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition sport is “a game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job”. With this definition in mind, it’s hard to decipher what isn’t categorised as a sport, which brings us to the age-old debate of whether or not cheerleading is one. Why are we suddenly talking about cheerleading? Well, because many people DON’T think it’s a sport, and thus it’s a good place to start when trying to understand the unusual Olympic sports. Personally, I think it’s safe to say that cheerleading is a sport; it sure does hit the requirements to be labelled as one. But would it ever belong at the Olympics? To answer this question, let’s look at some of the Olympic sports that we at Nexus feel fall under the same umbrella as cheerleading.  

Breaking, or breakdancing, first appeared at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Following its success at these Games, it was added to the Paris Olympic programme as a new sport. For those who are unaware of its history, breaking is an urban style of dance that originated in the USA in the 70s. I’m sure we’ve all seen the likes of Step Up, You Got Served, and even Stomp the Yard, however, I don’t think I could ever imagine any of those characters appearing at the Olympic Games. Yes, it is a competition/activity that requires physical effort and skill. Yes, there are rules. And according to the official Olympics website, it is stated that “Breaking is recognised as an urban sport just like skateboarding and sport climbing, inspired by various dance styles demanding athleticism and coordination”. So yes, it is a sport. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach even announced that it would make the Games “more gender balanced, more youthful, and more urban”.  Ultimately, while it may seem a little bit unconventional, breaking does tick all the boxes to be a sport, and it has also made great strides in the world of the Olympic Games. Maybe cheerleading is next, hmm? 

Earlier, I brought up skateboarding and sport climbing which also feature at this year’s Games. While the same debate about breaking could be had for these two sports, it’s clear that the Olympics are paving their way through modern sports that resonate with the youth. Now, while I’m not sure how many of you are particularly interested in these sports, it is a historical leap from the events that were held in the ancient Olympic Games. Perhaps these great strides are exactly what the Games need for an international revival of viewership (although I’m not sure this is exactly needed), or maybe it’s just an incredible use of fan service.  

If you’ve read this far and you’re a bit tired of summer sports, I did mention that I wanted to also talk about the Winter Olympics. It was brought to my attention that there is an event called the biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. This sounded completely bizarre to me at the time, and to be honest, it still does. The sport is rooted in the skiing traditions of Scandinavia, where early inhabitants revered the Norse god Ull as both the ski god and the hunting god. If you still can’t quite wrap your head around combining skiing with rifle shooting, I suggest you stop here and head over to YouTube to see it in action. Now that you’ve hopefully done that, do you see how this too demands an answer to “what makes a sport a sport”? While it also ticks all the boxes for a sport, it’s certainly different to what many people would consider as one! Although perhaps being a little different is exactly what gives these sporting events their charm.  

Now that we’ve dabbled in questioning sports that have been accepted into the Olympic family despite personal feelings of confusion, we’re back to the cheerleading debate. On July 20th, 2021, the IOC voted in favour of granting full recognition to the International Cheer Union (ICU) and cheerleading. This was an incredibly historical day not only for the sport, but also for its athletes as it became eligible to apply to be included on the Olympic Programme. Therefore, while it may not have been included in this year’s Games, there is still the possibility of a future feature of cheerleading at the Olympics. Additionally, if the IOC says so, I suppose the debate is well and truly over- cheerleading is a sport.