The table below provides a list of sports included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games (including upcoming ones), as well as their brief description and the year when the first competitions were held in them within the framework of the games.
| Kind of sport | Description | |
| Rowing | Team sport, a kind of rowing. Unlike rowing and canoeing, athletes cover the distance backwards. | 1896 |
| Badminton | A sports game using rackets and a shuttlecock on a specially marked field with a net. | 1992 |
| Баскетбол | Team play on a special field-platform with a ball and baskets. | 1936 |
| Boxing | A kind of hand-to-hand combat in the ring with special gloves. | 1904 |
| Fight | A type of hand-to-hand combat. Within the framework of the games, 2 disciplines are provided: freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. | 1896 |
| Cycle racing | Bicycle competitions in 4 disciplines: BMX, track, mountain or road bike. | 1896 |
| Water polo | Team sport in water with ball and goal. | 1900 |
| Volleyball | Team sport with ball and net. The games include 2 disciplines: indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. | 1964 |
| Handball | A competition between two teams using a ball and a goal. The ball is played with the hands. | 1936 |
| Golf | A game on the field, the participants of which try to drive a small ball into special holes before rivals. | 2016 |
| Canoeing and kayaking | A type of paddling in a kayak or canoe. Within the framework of the games, a separate discipline is also provided – rowing slalom. | 1936 |
| Judo | Japanese martial art without the use of weapons. | 1964 |
| Equestrian sport | Riding competitions in three disciplines: dressage, show jumping and triathlon. | 1900 |
| Athletics | Running, walking, jumping and throwing competitions. | 1896 |
| Table tennis | A sports game with rackets and a ball (ball) on a special tennis table with markings and a grid. | 1988 |
| Sailing | Competition on yachts (mainly) using sailing equipment. | 1900 |
| Swimming | Overcoming swimming different distances for a while. Open water swimming is a separate discipline. | 1896 |
| Diving | Performing acrobatic actions (turns, rotations and screws) while jumping from various projectiles (towers, springboards). | 1904 |
| Jumping on the trampoline | A sport that includes various types of jumps – individual and synchronized. | 2000 |
| bullet shooting | Shooting from pneumatic, small-caliber and large-caliber rifles and pistols. | 1896 |
| Rugby 7 | A contact sport between two teams using a ball. | 2016 |
| Synchronized swimming | Performing various figures and movements in the water to the music. | 1984 |
| Competition in five disciplines: running, swimming, shooting, fencing and show jumping. | 1912 | |
| Gymnastics | A sport that includes competitions on gymnastic equipment (bars, balance beam, rings, horse, crossbar), vaults and floor exercises. | 1896 |
| Archery | Archery with arrows for accuracy/range. | 1900 |
| Tennis | A sports game with rackets and a ball on a special tennis field (court) with markings and a net. | 1896 |
| Triathlon | A race that involves consecutive and continuous passage by athletes of three stages: swimming, cycling and running. | 2000 |
| A Korean martial art characterized by the active use of the legs. | 2000 | |
| Weightlifting | Performing exercises to raise the barbell above your head. | 1896 |
| Fencing | Sports combat with the use of edged weapons (swords, rapiers, sabers). | 1896 |
| Футбол | A team sport using a soccer ball on a specially marked field with goals. | 1900 |
| Field hockey | Team sport on a special field using clubs and a ball. | 1908 |
| Rhythmic gymnastics | Performing various gymnastic and dance exercises to music both with and without an object (ribbon, rope, hoop, maces, ball). | 1984 |
The following sports will be added to the program of the Summer Olympic Games, which are scheduled for 2021:
| Kind of sport | Description |
| Basketball 3 × 3 | Basketball with modified rules. Each team has 3 players and 1 substitute. Sometimes called streetball. |
| Baseball | A team sport using a baseball bat and ball on a specially marked field. |
| Karate | Japanese martial art. |
| Surfing | Water sport. An athlete-surfer must effectively “ride” on a special board along the wave (or inside it) moving towards the shore. |
| Skateboarding | Extreme sport, the purpose of which is to perform various tricks on a skateboard. |
| Softball | A team sport is a variation of baseball. |
| sport climbing | A type of rock climbing organized and carried out according to certain rules. |
| BMX freestyle | A sport that evolved from BMX racing. The performance of athletes is judged by the complexity, originality and accuracy of acrobatic tricks with a bicycle performed during the flight. |
Note: The Summer Olympic Games are held every four years. The list of capitals (countries) of future games is given below.
| City | Country | number | Year | Home | End | ||||
| Tokyo | Japan | XXXII | 2020 | Paris | France | XXXIII | 2024 | July 26 | 11 of August |
| Los Angeles | USA | XXXIV | 2028 | July 21 | 06 of August |
YAXSHI ZO’R