The Newest Olympic Sport Features Humans Jumping Instead of Horses

Many of you know that I'm a big Olympics fan. After attending 6 Summer Olympics so far, I definitely have some opinions about sports that belong in the Olympics and sports that don't.

The Equestrian events have never been my favorites. Any sport where your performance is dictated by the bond between a human and an animal might be fun to watch but has always felt to me like it doesn't belong in the Olympics and typically generates considerable backlash every year. I was thinking about this after reading the announcement this week that the LA 2028 Olympics will be removing Equestrian show jumping and replacing it with an "American Ninja style" obstacle jumping competition.

​LA28 will debut Obstacle, which features a head-to-head race over a Ninja-style sprint course, taking the place of Horse Jumping. Athletes accumulate points in the first three events to determine their starting position for the Laser Run. This final event is a combined running and shooting event where athletes start with a delay corresponding to the number of points between them and the leader. The first athlete to cross the finish line is the winner. This multidimensional contest demands unparalleled physical and mental resolve, calm precision under chaotic conditions and provides spectators with an ever-changing, highly exciting viewing experience.

The move is another in a sequence of shifts by the LA28 organizers to add new exhibition sports that are likely to attract a new and younger audience to watch the Olympics while increasing the modern appeal of the Games. The criteria used to decide which sports get added has 35 different factors including a sport's global popularity, youth appeal, gender equality, and operational costs.