Sports that start with the letter O cover a surprisingly wide range of physical activity, from precision shooting to ocean-crossing endurance races. This list includes 15 sports, starting with “Orienteering” and ending with “Olympic Skeet Shooting.” Most combine strength, skill, or navigation, and people take them up for competition, recreation, or simply staying active outdoors.
Sports are structured physical activities with rules, goals, and often a competitive element, whether played solo or in teams. Some, like Olympic Weightlifting, have been part of the Games for over a century, while others, like Obstacle Course Racing, grew out of modern events like Spartan Race and now have their own world championships.
Below you’ll find the table with each sport and a description of how it’s played.
Sport: the name of the activity, so you can quickly find the one you’re looking for or scan the full list.
Description: a short explanation of how the sport works, its origins, and what makes it distinct, helping you understand it at a glance.
Sports
Sport
Orienteering
Olympic Weightlifting
Obstacle Course Racing
Open Water Swimming
Octopush
Outrigger Canoeing
Oztag
Oina
Off-Road Racing
Off-Piste Skiing
One-Wall Handball
Offshore Sailing
Ocean Rowing
Outdoor Bowls
Olympic Skeet Shooting
Descriptions
Orienteering
A navigation sport where competitors use a map and compass to find checkpoints scattered through unfamiliar terrain as quickly as possible. It rewards both speed and route-planning skill and is popular as both a competitive and recreational outdoor activity.
Olympic Weightlifting
A strength sport contested in two lifts, the snatch and the clean and jerk, where athletes hoist a loaded barbell overhead in a single fluid motion. It has been a core Olympic Games event since the modern Games began.
Obstacle Course Racing
A physically demanding sport combining trail running with obstacles like walls, ropes, and mud pits. Popularized by events such as Spartan Race and Tough Mudder, it now has its own world championship circuit.
Open Water Swimming
Swimming races held in natural bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, or the sea rather than a pool. Distances range from 5 to 25 kilometers, and it has been an Olympic event since 2008.
Octopush
Also known as underwater hockey, this sport has two teams using short pushers to maneuver a puck across a pool floor while swimming underwater. It began in England in the 1950s and is now played competitively worldwide.
Outrigger Canoeing
A paddling sport using canoes fitted with a stabilizing float, rooted in Polynesian seafaring tradition. Crews race in open water over distances from short sprints to long-distance ocean voyages.
Oztag
A non-contact variant of rugby league from Australia where tagging an opponent’s belt-mounted tag replaces tackling. It is played socially and competitively as a safer alternative to full-contact rugby.
Oina
A traditional Romanian team sport resembling a mix of baseball and lapta, played with a bat and ball on a rectangular field. It is considered a national sport of Romania with roots dating back centuries.
Off-Road Racing
A motorsport discipline in which vehicles like trucks, buggies, and motorcycles race across rough natural terrain rather than paved tracks. Events such as the Dakar Rally are among its most famous competitions.
Off-Piste Skiing
Skiing performed on unmarked, ungroomed mountain terrain outside official resort trails, often in deep powder snow. It demands strong technical skill and awareness of avalanche and terrain hazards.
One-Wall Handball
A version of handball played against a single wall on a smaller court, popular in urban settings like New York City playgrounds. Players strike a small rubber ball with their hands to keep it in play.
Offshore Sailing
Competitive sailing conducted on open seas over long distances, often lasting days or weeks and covering hundreds of miles. Races like the Fastnet and Sydney to Hobart test crews’ endurance and navigation skills.
Ocean Rowing
An endurance sport in which crews row specially built boats across open oceans, such as the Atlantic or Pacific, often taking weeks to complete. It demands extreme physical stamina and mental resilience.
Outdoor Bowls
A precision lawn sport where players roll biased balls toward a smaller target ball, called the jack, on a grass or synthetic green. It is especially popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Olympic Skeet Shooting
A shotgun sport where competitors shoot at clay targets launched from two houses at varying angles and speeds. It has been part of the Olympic shooting program since the mid-20th century.
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