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SBD/August 2, 2012/Research and Ratings
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Summer Games Usually Leads To Boost In Participation In Olympic Sports
Americans tend to get more active during the Olympic Games, playing many of the sports and activities they watch, according to research from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. There was a slight increase in participation for Olympic sports from ’07 to ’08 around the Beijing Games. A similar increase was seen from ’03 to ’04 around the Athens Games. A total of 16 fitness and exercise activities experienced a boost in participation from ‘08 to ’09 following Beijing. Listed below are the most popular Olympic sports in the U.S., from a participant perspective, based on core participation (SGMA).
MOST POPULAR OLYMPIC SPOTS IN THE U.S.RKSPORT/ACTIVITYCORE U.S. PARTICIPANTS (MILLIONS)MINIMUM TIMES/YEAR1Bicycling (road/surface)20.6132Basketball16.7263Tennis14.3114Outdoor soccer6.4265Table tennis5.6136Target shooting (rifle)5.287Court volleyball3.9138Mountain biking3.7139Horseback riding2.51310Track & field2.52611Badminton2.41312Kayaking (recreational)2.2813Gymnastics1.85014Swimming1.55015Sailing1.3816Beach volleyball1.31317Shooting (trap/skeet)1.2818BMX cycling1.21319Wrestling1.12620Triathlon1.02
