The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently announced several new athletic categories that are to be implemented in the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games held in Paris, France. Among these are chicken fighting, egg and spoon race, as well as food fighting.

The IOC also confirmed surfing, rock climbing, and breakdancing earlier in 2021.

“These new sports are joining this program as a decision to broaden the tournament’s appeal,” a representative from the IOC noted. “These sports are easier to pick up and open up the competition to a wider audience and range of competitors.”

Chicken fighting, also known as shoulder wars, is a sport usually played in a lake or swimming pool. The athletes will compete in pairs; one team member sitting on the shoulder of the other. The person on top is considered the “attacker” while the other is considered the “vehicle”. The athlete below is not allowed to use their hands or arms and must rely on momentum to attack by rushing at the other team. The athlete above may use any means possible, within reason, to separate the other team or knock them to the ground. If a team is separated or knocked down in any way, they are automatically eliminated and must exit the arena.

An egg and spoon race is a sporting event in which the athletes must balance an egg on a spoon and race against other competitors to the finish line. The IOC has not announced whether or not the event will be a relay or individual race. If the egg falls from a participant’s spoon, then competitors are required to pause and replace their egg. If an athlete holds on to an egg, or even touches the egg while in motion, the athlete will immediately be disqualified.

Food fighting is an athletic event in which the athletes will throw food at one another, most likely in a group setting. Athletes will rank up points, based on the food that is thrown and the amount of food that lands on their competitors. Although food fights are typically associated with juvenile settings, the IOC is confident that food fighting will become a world renowned sport and introducing it as an Olympic category will boost its popularity and add a new dimension to the annual Olympic trials.

As the Summer Games approaches, spectators and competitors alike are looking forward to the implementation of the new categories.

Happy April Fools’!

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