Fans of the Olympics have become accustomed to less traditional additions to the Games schedule in recent years, for example Breaking and a surf contest held in Tahiti.

But was a Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course on your Olympic bingo card?

The producers of the hit Japanese show have just signed a deal to bring their obstacle course designs to modern pentathlon at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, replacing the horse riding leg of the event.

Before you read more about it in today's one-minute section, how do you feel about the evolution of the Olympic sports?

$US10 million ($AU14 million)
That's the bonus on offer for any sprinter who can beat Usain Bolt's 100m world record at the controversial Enhanced Games in 2027. Bolt's mark of 9.58 seconds has stood since the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, and the closest any other athlete has come is 9.69 seconds – held jointly by American Tyson Gay and Jamaican Yohan Blake. The Enhanced Games, which staged its first event in Las Vegas last weekend, permits its competitors to take drugs banned in mainstream sport. American sprinter and Olympic medallist Fred Kerley, who competed in Sunday’s event as a ‘clean athlete’ and won the 100m in 9.97 seconds, responded to the social media announcement, saying: “Enhance me now”.

"It's insane to play in this weather and especially in front of the sun. To be there for more than four and a half hours, that's just insane."
20-year-old Czech tennis player Jakub Mensik, speaking after his five-set win over Argentina's Mariano Navone in 32 °C heat. The 26th seed collapsed to the clay with cramps after match point and was helped up by medics, eventually needing a wheelchair to leave the court. 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic has urged organisers to consider scheduling matches later in the day during extreme heat. Mensik will play Australian eighth seed Alex de Minaur in the third round.

The 2004 comedy film 'Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story' is often credited with helping grow the sport. The World Dodgeball Federation was founded seven years after the film, the first World Championship was held in Kuala Lumpur in 2012, and Australia’s national dodgeball team, the Dodgeroos, were established in 2015.

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🎾 It was a tough day for the Aussies at the French Open on Wednesday, with James Duckworth and Thanasi Kokkinakis both bowing out in the second round. Duckworth went down to 27th-seeded Rafael Jodar in four sets, while Kokkinakis was forced to retire from his match against Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta after struggling to play on with a longtime shoulder injury. Three of the four remaining Aussies in the singles draws will take to the court tonight. Adam Walton plays American Zachary Svajda, Kimberly Birrell takes on Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova, and Daria Kasatkina meets Swiss qualifier Susan Bandecchi. The fourth Aussie, Alex de Minaur, is set to play Jakub Menšik in the third round tomorrow.

🚴‍♂️ Australian Jai Hindley remains fourth in the Giro d'Italia general classification with four stages remaining, after Denmark's Michael Valgren took out a hilly Stage 17 on Wednesday. Hindley, the 2022 Giro champion, is five minutes behind Danish race leader Jonas Vingegaard, who looks set to seal his first title at the Italian grand tour race. Fellow Aussies Michael Storer (seventh) and Ben O'Connor (10th) are also in the top 10 heading into the race's final mountain stages.

⚽ U.S. authorities have launched an investigation into FIFA over ticket pricing for the upcoming men's football World Cup, with the attorneys-general of New York and New Jersey issuing subpoenas. The probe centres on eight matches at MetLife Stadium (including the 19 July final) in New Jersey, where fans have reported being shifted to worse seats after purchase. Some seats for the final have sold for more than $US32,000 ($AU45,000). In a statement, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said: “Being honest about ticket sales is not complicated. But FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity, and impossibly high prices”. She added: “It’s an honour to host the World Cup, but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors.” The Socceroos kick off their tournament against Türkiye in Vancouver on 14 June (AEST).

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The producers of Japan's hit TV show Sasuke, known in Australia as Ninja Warrior, have struck a deal to bring their obstacle course designs to the modern pentathlon at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

A staple of the Games since 1912, modern pentathlon has traditionally combined five disciplines: horse show jumping, pistol shooting, fencing, swimming and running. 

From LA28, obstacle racing will take the place of the riding leg – though horses themselves are not disappearing from l the Games. The standalone equestrian sports of eventing, dressage and show jumping will all remain on the Olympic program.

The change followed pressure from the International Olympic Committee for the sport's governing body to lower costs and broaden access for athletes outside wealthy nations.

Modern pentathlon president  Rob Stull said in a statement: "What an incredible honour it is for our Federation to be working closely with TBS, the broadcaster that gave Ninja Warrior to the world. Ahead of LA28, this agreement represents a wonderful and unique coming together of primetime entertainment and Olympic sports culture."

Five other sports are either joining or returning to the Olympic program in Los Angeles. Flag football and squash will make their Olympic debut, while cricket (in T20 format), lacrosse (sixes) and baseball/softball all return after long absences. Breaking, which made its controversial debut in Paris last year, has not been included.

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New South Wales pulled off the biggest comeback in State of Origin history on Wednesday night, fighting back from 20-0 down to beat Queensland 22-20 in front of more than 79,000 fans at Accor Stadium.

Here is how it unfolded.

Queensland looked unstoppable early. Tries from the Maroons’ Robert Toia, Thomas Flegler, and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow inside the opening 21 minutes gave the Queensland team a seemingly insurmountable 20-0 lead. Debutant halfback Sam Walker was brilliant, pulling the strings to capitalise on a series of NSW handling errors. 

Then came the first turning point of the match. Five-eighth Ethan Strange – only confirmed in the starting side a day out from kick-off after Mitchell Moses was withdrawn with a hamstring injury – produced a try-saving tackle that forced Cameron Munster to knock the ball on as Queensland threatened to extend the lead. 

The Blues marched upfield from the resulting set, with Hudson Young grounding a Nathan Cleary grubber to make it 20-6 at the halftime break.

While the Maroons still looked the stronger outfit in the opening exchanges of the second half, the second turning point of the match came in the 57th minute. Referee Ashley Klein sent off Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga for a shoulder charge that made direct contact with the head of NSW debutant Tolutau Koula, who later failed his head injury assessment. It was the seventh send-off in the 45-year history of Origin. The NRL Judiciary ruled Ponga’s tackle as a Grade II shoulder charge, meaning he only has to pay a fine and will be available for selection for Game II. 

Reduced to 12 men for the final 23 minutes, Queensland could not hold on. Strange scored off the back of a Stephen Crichton linebreak before Cleary took over, landing a 40/20, scored himself, and then launching the bomb that James Tedesco climbed above Tabuai-Fidow to score from in the dying seconds.  

Cleary nailed the sideline conversion with five seconds remaining to complete the comeback t. The four-time premiership player, who has previously been criticised for not bringing his often exceptional Panthers performances into the State of Origin arena, was named man of the match.

Before Wednesday night, NRL.com's list of the greatest Origin comebacks was led by Queensland's miracle finish in Game I of 1994, when Mark Coyne crossed in the 79th minute with the Maroons down 12-4.

Multiple outlets have now declared NSW's recovery the biggest in the series' history. From 20 points down, no team had ever overturned a larger deficit in Origin.

Game II will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 17 June. The MCG has been a happy hunting ground for NSW, who have won five of the six Origins ever played there. 

Queensland's only victory at the venue came back in 1995. The Blues will be aiming to wrap up the series with a game to spare.

NSW's women have a chance to complete a series sweep tonight at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast, with Game III of the Women's State of Origin kicking off at 7.45pm (AEST).

The Blues have already locked away the series 2-0 after wins in Newcastle (11-6) and Brisbane (14-10).