Olympic sports are
sports contested in the
Summer and
Winter Olympic Games. The
2012 Summer Olympics included 26 sports, with two additional sports due to be added to the
2016 Summer Olympics. The
2014 Winter Olympics included seven sports. The number and kinds of events may change slightly from one Olympiad to another. Each Olympic sport is represented by an
international governing body, namely an
International Federation (IF). The
International Olympic Committee (IOC) establishes a hierarchy of sports, disciplines, and events. According to this hierarchy, the Olympic sports can be subdivided into multiple disciplines, which are often assumed to be distinct sports. Examples include
swimming and
water polo (disciplines of
Aquatics, represented by the
International Swimming Federation), or
figure skating and
speed skating (disciplines of
Skating, represented by the
International Skating Union). In their turn, disciplines can be subdivided into events, for which medals are actually awarded. A sport or discipline is included in the Olympic program if the IOC determines it is widely practiced around the world, that is, the number of countries that compete in a given sport is the indicator of the sport's prevalence. The IOC's requirements reflect participation in the Olympic Games as well—more stringent toward men (as they are represented in higher numbers) and Summer sports (as more nations compete in the Summer Olympics).