Pages

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Olympic "Sports" worth deleting.

My top 5 pick of events that should be deleted from the list of Olympic sporting events.

(Not in any particular order)
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Synchronised Swimming
Tennis
20km Walk
Equestrian Dressage


I also have grave reservations about the inclusions of shooting - in a world of frequent violence what use is this "sport", 'tho I recognise its skill and also its boring monotony - weightlifting, a sport riddled with doping that I find distressing viewing and boxing an activity riddled with subjective evaluations that are not without obvious bias.



The governing bodies of following sports, though not contested in the Olympic Games, are recognized by the IOC:
  • Air sports *
  • Auto racing * (provisional from 2011)
  • Bandy
  • Baseball
  • Billiard sports
  • Boules
  • Bowling
  • Bridge
  • Chess
  • Cricket
  • Dance sport
  • Floorball
  • Golf (part of 2016 program)
  • Karate
  • Korfball
  • Lifesaving
  • Motorcycle racing *
  • Mountaineering and Climbing
  • Netball
  • Orienteering
  • Pelota Vasca
  • Polo
  • Powerboating *
  • Racquetball
  • Roller sports
  • Rugby 
  • (Rugby "7's" will be part of the 2016 Program)
  • Softball
  • Sport climbing
  • Squash
  • Sumo
  • Surfing
  • Tug of war
  • Underwater sports
  • Water ski *
  • Wushu

Those sports marked with an asterisk are not eligible to be included at the Olympic Games because the Olympic Charter specifically bans sports with an element of motorization from eligibility.

Now, I'd like to see international speedway motorcycling, Tug of war, A shortened version of Baseball and Twenty/20 Cricket. Powerboating could also be interesting but I see that as an 'elite' sport, like Ocean Sailing.

3 comments:

John Going Gently said...

did I ever tell you John, that I am so proud of the London Olympics....

better luck to Australia next time
x

JohnD said...

You certainly did John and you can see the remnants of the Empire still maintain their "win in the spirit of the games attitude!"

We play hard, with a small population and yet many, many still find it hard to defeat us (fairly). Remember Syd-n-ee! We'll have the games again, shortly.

In 1788 London sent out its worst criminals and its most unwanted troops to guard them - and they wilted under the pressures of this land. Their sons, John, their sons and daughters, grew up here - tall, fair, thin and lanky and adapted to the environment and thrived. From your worst came our best!

Thank you!

joeh said...

They need to elliminate many events, your five are a very good start...I must admit, though not a sporting event in my opinion, the rythmic gymnastics stuff with the ball is an amazing spectical. The timing, juggling and percision is hard to believe. It should be a circus act, however, not a sporting event.