Sports that shouldn't be in the Olympics

[sheddy]

I trust that the beach vollleyball will take place on a real beach.
If it's not, get rid...

 

[Seevio]

Get rid of all swimming except freestyle. What's the point of a race where you don't go as fast as you are capable of.

I still reckon they should add a bear to each event though.

 

[Fnaar]

The Marathon will have to go now, or else be renamed.

If they wear Sneakers it's fine

 

[Fnaar]

I trust that the beach vollleyball will take place on a real beach.
If it's not, get rid...

Ooh, controversial...

 

[rugby bloke]

My wife, who has a better insight into the female psyche than myself, was talking about the gymnastics. She isn't a sports monkey, and only really likes F1, but she loves the gymnastics.

The womens gymnastics seems like some kind of relic from old-fashioned sexism, with the balls, ribbons, etc, all done to music for women, but blokes purely trying to show off their strength and prowess. My wife commented that the music thing is a bit strange, as they aren't really dancing, although can appreciate that they have to match the rhythm of the song. However when the men do their floor exercises, it seems a bit cold and aimless without a sound track. So we are still undecided as to whether the music is good or not, and as a consequence, whether gymnasics ought be about more than just a combination of how well you can do the moves, and how difficult a move can you pull off, or whether rhythm and artistry is part of this sport too.

The music does play a key part in the routine, this is something that I am learning as my daughter progresses through the sport. She recently took part in a competition and for the floor routine chose a slow paced piece of music that meant that she had to be very accurate in her execution. It was a high risk strategy, but with all the other girls choosing fast paced tunes her routine stood out and she came first in the floor routine. The gymnasts are not dancing as such but the speed and rhythm is directing their routine.

 

[Profpointy]

anything done to music or has points for choreography, floor gymnastics, synchronised swimming.

Quite right, bloody ancient Greeks, what did they know about the olympics bringing in stupid sports like that ?
(well not synchronised swimming obviously, as that wasn't the greeks and is indeed silly)

They should re-introduce running races wearing a suit of armour, and more seriously, tug-o-war would be a great sport to bring (back) in.

I read on the bbc that it was dropped because many participants would win prize money at country shows or whatever and thus were ineligible for the (yeah, right) amateur olympics.

 

[nickyboy]

Another vote for binning anything judged. Except the diving cos those cossies look so good

And while we're at it, let's get Kabbadi into the Games. Having watched a bit on Sky I still have no idea what's going on, everyone holding hands and tackling each other, but it looks fun

Maybe this would also give the most populous country that has never won an Olympic medal a chance to win one too

 

[Fnaar]

Kabbadi was on Channel 4 many many years ago. Absolutely fascinating

 

[Profpointy]

Kabbadi was on Channel 4 many many years ago. Absolutely fascinating

We should be in with a chance at that, as it's basically British Bulldogs in so far as I understood it at all.

To be fair, when Channel 4 was trying to do different and interesting things, rather than just produce utter tripe, I did rather get into Sumo (and just to be clear I don't have the physique for it myself), but Kabbadi was rather baffling - but good for them showing it at all

 

[srw]

Another vote for dropping judged events here. Unfortunately, the Olympics is so lucrative that the sport of jumping off a plank wearing very little is likely to carry on. I'd also drop events which are basically team games.

If I were the IOC I'd take a cold hard look at extending the franchise. They're beginning to run up against the problem that the Olympics are run only for the benefit of the IOC, not for the athletes or the host cities. At the moment there is one monstrously big event and one manageable event every four years. Why not aim for four manageable events every four years? Off the top of my head, that could be:

• Winter games, as now
• Indoor games - things like basketball, gymnastics, and track cycling
• Outdoor team games - things like hockey, football, cricket and rugby
• Blue riband events - mainly individual endeavours - athletics, swimming, archery

A really ambitious IOC could look to rebrand World Cups as "Olympic World Cup", giving smaller sports like cricket (T20 probably) a world profile they don't yet have.

 

[srw]

Kabbadi was on Channel 4 many many years ago. Absolutely fascinating

About as meaningless as the diving and gymnastics for me. Or rugby, for that matter. I don't think I'm stupid, but I just can't tell what on earth is going on.

 

[Roadrider48]

They should introduce moon walking in SPD-SL shoes.
I don't know why!

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I think an interesting question is which sports make for the best viewing?
The white water kayaking looks great, as does the table tennis. I don't play/do either and am unsure of the rules, but they are great viewing.
In a similar vein, apparently at the next Olympics wall climbing is in. Again, I have never done that, but I suspect it'll make for good viewing.

 

[Profpointy]

We should be in with a chance at that, as it's basically British Bulldogs in so far as I understood it at all.

To be fair, when Channel 4 was trying to do different and interesting things, rather than just produce utter tripe, I did rather get into Sumo (and just to be clear I don't have the physique for it myself), but Kabbadi was rather baffling - but good for them showing it at all

Just done some Wikipediaing, and it seems Kabbadi was put on as an exhibition game at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 of all unlikely times and places.

 

[KneesUp]

In a similar vein, apparently at the next Olympics wall climbing is in. Again, I have never done that, but I suspect it'll make for good viewing.

In the spirit of the original games, where the sports bore some relation to life, will this be a competition in which participants have - say - 5 minutes to get as much scrap metal back over the wall as they can. Most weight wins.