Gran Turismo and Just Dance will be part of the Olympic Esports Series 2023

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently announced the Olympic Esports Series 2023, a worldwide virtual and simulated sports competition developed by the IOC in conjunction with International Federations (IFs) and game producers. This year, the event will include nine sports, of which two are JustDance and Gran Turismo.

Professional and amateur players worldwide are invited to participate in qualification rounds across the games featured in the Olympic Esports Series 2023. The competition started yesterday and will culminate in live, in-person finals. The finals will take place in Singapore's Suntec Centre from June 22nd to the 25th and will be aired live on Olympics.com and Olympic social platforms.

Besides Gran Turismo and JustDance, the other sports featured in the competition are:

• Archery (World Archery Federation, Tic Tac Bow)
• Baseball (World Baseball Softball Confederation, WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS)
• Chess (International Chess Federation, Chess.com)
• Cycling (UCI, Zwift)
• Sailing (World Sailing, Virtual Regatta)
• Taekwondo (World Taekwondo, Virtual Taekwondo)
• Tennis (International Tennis Federation, Tennis Clash)

Depending on the sport, anyone can try to qualify for the Olympic Esports Series 2023. In Gran Turismo 7's case, the developer will introduce an online time trial on a track dedicated to the competition on April 13th. The best-ranked players will be invited to compete in the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore. On the other hand, in the JustDance category, you'll need an invite to participate.

The IOC's virtual competition format is based on the success of the Olympic Virtual Series. The 2021 competition, which took place before the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, drew over 250,000 competitors from over 100 countries. With the Olympic Esports Series 2023, IOC plans to take another step in the Olympic Movement's support for the growth of virtual sports, as outlined in the Olympic Agenda 2020+5, maintaining its partnership with gaming and esports communities to generate new possibilities for players and fans.

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KitGuru says: Will you try your skill on any of the nine sports featured in the Olympic Esports Series 2023? If so, which ones?

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