The Olympic and Paralympic programme, one sport at a time.

A caution first: the official Olympic website, olympics.com, timed out every time this site's research tried to read it. Where the IOC's own wording would normally be quoted, this page relies on search summaries of its pages, on the governing bodies, and on news reports, and says which.

At a glance

Tennis

Search summaries of olympics.com and of a BNP Paribas tennis history say tennis was on the programme at Athens 1896, left after 1924, was a demonstration sport in 1968 and 1984, and returned as a full medal sport at Seoul 1988. Why it left is told two ways: the Olympics site summary points to disputes between the ILTF and the IOC over amateur status, while the BNP Paribas history ties it to a clash with the Davis Cup schedule.

The current events, from the same olympics.com summary, are men's and women's singles and doubles and mixed doubles. LA28 tennis is planned for Carson, at the Dignity Health Sports Park tennis centre, according to search summaries of LA28 and NBC Olympics pages, with the LA28 schedule labelled subject to change.

Wheelchair tennis has been a Paralympic medal sport since Barcelona 1992; IPC summaries differ on whether Seoul 1988 saw a demonstration event first. Quad events were added at Athens 2004. Details are on wheelchair and para play.

Badminton

The BWF's Olympic timeline, as summarised in search results, records badminton as a demonstration sport at Munich 1972 and an exhibition at Seoul 1988. The IOC voted in June 1985 to include it at Barcelona 1992; a BWF history page, also seen only as a summary, dates that vote to 5 June 1985 at the IOC's 90th Session and calls it unanimous. Barcelona 1992 had four events: men's and women's singles and doubles. Mixed doubles was added at Atlanta 1996, giving today's five events. NBC Olympics confirms the 1972 demonstration, the 1992 debut with four events and mixed doubles from 1996.

Para badminton has been a Paralympic sport since Tokyo 2020, held in 2021 (UK Sport).

Squash

Squash's road to the Games ran through several defeats. Search summaries of press reports say it fell short of the two-thirds majority for London 2012 at the IOC Session in Singapore in 2005, and was passed over for Rio 2016 at the 2009 Session in Copenhagen. At the IOC vote in Buenos Aires in September 2013 for one sport to add for 2020, Reuters reported wrestling received 49 votes, baseball and softball 24 and squash 22, of 95.

On 16 October 2023, at its Session in Mumbai, the IOC approved squash for LA28 together with cricket, flag football, lacrosse and baseball-softball, as one package with two votes against and for the 2028 Games only (Al Jazeera). US Squash, World Squash and the PSA welcomed the decision jointly the same day; there will be two medal events, men's and women's singles. LA28 will be squash's Olympic debut. Squash is not a Paralympic sport; Squash Australia says, in a search summary, that it is working with World Squash towards para squash acceptance within the IPC framework.

Padel

Padel is not on the LA28 programme. On 20 October 2026, when the FIP and Premier Padel declared 20 October World Padel Day, the FIP renewed its call for padel's inclusion at Brisbane 2032. In the same release the FIP lists recognition by the Olympic Council of Asia, the European Olympic Committees, ANOCA, ODESUR, the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games and FISU, and says padel featured at the 2023 European Games and the 2026 South American, Mediterranean and Asian Games. The release does not claim IOC recognition.

One padel blog, Padel Alto, says in a search summary that padel holds ARISF status as an IOC-recognised federation. The FIP's own October 2026 list of recognitions does not include the IOC or ARISF, and no IOC source was found either way. Padel is not a Paralympic sport; the FIP named adaptive padel a priority in October 2026.

Pickleball

Pickleball is not on the Olympic or Paralympic programme, and no IOC statement on it was found. The Dink (21 November 2025) notes that the IOC works only with international federations it recognises, and treats one unified world federation as a precondition for any Olympic bid. That unification was not complete on 4 August 2026, when the European Pickleball Federation's press release showed the WPF and the GPF still apart; see pickleball bodies and tours.

A search summary of a Japanese sports news site reports that Japan's two national pickleball bodies agreed to merge, citing a unified international federation that aims for recognition at Brisbane 2032. That is a national body's stated aim, not an IOC decision, and the report was not opened.

The longer story of each sport's Olympic history is on the Olympic story.