From the long-defunct tug-of-war to the resurrected tennis matches and the tried-and-true gymnastics, the Olympics have evolved dramatically over the years while a few elements remain forever a part of the games.
The inaugural modern games in 1896 offered nine sports, compared to 28 at this year's Olympics in London. In the intervening decades, various events have come and gone, including baseball, golf, water motorsports and demonstration sports such as ballooning and American football.
In all, 33 medal events or demonstration sports have come and gone during the modern Summer Olympics.
The host country used to dominate the decision about which events to offer, allowing for some rather unusual competitions. But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) now oversees this process and offers parameters for determining what a sport is as well as whether or not it should be included.
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