Get ready for the Summer Games with these sporty activities in DC

With the Summer Games coming up this year, you might want to try out some of the events’ sports for yourself. Challenge your friends to these competitive social activities to get yourself in the mood for cheering on your favorite athletes.

While it’s fun to get involved with the competitive spirit of the Games, there’s nothing like trying out a new sport for yourself. You’ll discover exactly how hard the professionals have had to work.

1. Golf, but make it mini – at Swingers

The golf tournaments at the 2024 Summer Summer Games in Paris are scheduled to run from 1 to 10 August at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, featuring a total of 120 players (60 per gender) across two medal events.

While golf is a fun, outdoor activity, it’s not always the most accessible sport – taking a few hours and requiring golf clubs and access to a golf course. 

Get putt-ready at Swingers Dupont Circle, a fun alternative, where you can get into the golfing spirit, while also enjoying refreshments at the bar and a lively atmosphere.

While golf isn’t the most sociable sport, you’ll find the opposite at Swingers – you can challenge your friends, dance along to our in-house DJs, and chow down on delicious gourmet street food.

2. Practice your front crawl at a pool

Swimming is always a big event at the Summer Games, with the US team dominating the sport (current standings are 575 medals in total). 

One of the most accessible sports to try your hand at, all you’ll need to do is track down a swimming pool near you. In DC, there are numerous public pools – here are some of the more picturesque spots, so you can front-crawl in style:

• Rooftop Embassy Hotel
• Penthouse Pool
• Washington Liberty Aquatic Center

3. Get acrobatic at circus school

Professional gymnasts dedicate their lives to the sport, often beginning at a very young age. There are a number of gymnastic events at the Summer Games across men and women, including floor exercises, rings, and parallel and uneven bars.

You might not want to dedicate time (and flexibility) to gymnastics classes, but why not get a piece of the action by trying out a circus class?

You don’t need to be a professional to join these classes – and you can learn impressive skills on the trapeze, aerial silks, acrobatics, and more at the Capitol City Circus School. 

4. Kayak on the Potomac

There are a whopping 16 canoe and kayak events to enjoy during the Summer Games. Broken up into sprint (taking place on flat water, with competitors racing to be the first across the line at various distances) and slalom (taking place on white water, competitors will aim to complete a course of gates within the fastest time, trying not to incur penalties by missing or touching any of the gates).

Here in DC, you can try out kayaking or canoeing through multiple vendors across the Potomac. 

5. Get on top of sports climbing

Climbing is a new addition to the Summer Games, first appearing at Tokyo 2020. The Games’ version of the sport combines three different climbing disciplines;

1. Bouldering: Where competitors must each climb a 4.5 meter (14.76 feet) high wall without ropes, competing to complete the course and reach the top within the fewest attempts.
2. Lead climbing: Similar to bouldering, competitors will attempt to climb a wall over 15 meters (49.2 feet) high within six minutes.
3. Speed climbing: Climbers compete head-to-head, aiming to reach the top of a 15 meter (49.2 feet) wall in the fastest time. The current record is faster than 6 seconds.

Try your hand at climbing for a true understanding of the feats of strength and problem solving it entails. 

Locations:

• Sportrock – one of the first indoor rock climbing gyms in the country, Sportrock has a number of locations around the DC area, ready for climbing newbies or seasoned pros.
• Bouldering Project – bouldering only, for those looking to improve strength whilst keeping relatively close to the ground

6. Move your body with break dancing

Breaking is a new entry to the Summer Games, making its debut at this year’s games. Taking place on August 9-10th, 16 athletes of each gender (known as b-boys and b-girls) will compete, each improvising their moves to DJ’s tracks.

Dancers will take it in turns to pull out their best moves in three one-on-one dance battles. They will be judged on creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity and musicality. Performativity and creativity hold the most weight (60%), and the other categories account for the other 40%. 

If the new addition to the Summer Games has got you in the mood for a boogie, why not try out some break dance classes near you?

7. Put the wheels in motion and go cycling

While Olympic cycling is somewhat unobtainable to the everyday cyclist (does anyone have a spare velodrome in their backyard?), there are plenty of ways to get out and about on a bike.

You don’t even have to own your own bike – you could rent a bike for the day!

Get a taste for the sport by cycling these routes:

• The Mall (2 miles): See Washington’s historic attractions on a ride through The Mall. With a number of off-street trails, once you’ve finished admiring the sights you can explore the surrounding Memorial Parks. Explore by night to avoid crowds, and for a stunning view of the monuments lit up.
• Rock Creek Park: If you head south on the Rock Creek Trail, you’ll experience a traffic-free route that passes a number of points of interest, like the National Zoo. This is a bit of a trickier trail, with parts of the route narrow and winding. For an easier ride, the northern trail is completely paved, with spectacular views of the narrow valley. You’ll just have to watch out for the commuter traffic if you’re riding on a weekday.