There are a lot of major, international events expected to take place throughout the year 2020, one of which is the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The Olympic Games are one of the very few events with such an outstandingly long and remarkable tradition.
The first Olympics were organized, obviously, in ancient Greece in Olympia providing a competition in a couple of basic disciplines, like for instance:
- Running
- Jumping
- Discus throw
- Wrestling
- Boxing
- Pankriation (a combination of wrestling and boxing)
- Equestrian events (horse and chariot racing)
Some of the mentioned disciplines are outdated and are not a part of modern Olympics anymore (pankriation, horse and chariot racing), but most of them still remain the core and most exciting competitions of the event. However, the number and profiles of disciplines on Olympics have constantly been changing since 1896, when the first modern Olympic Games were organized.
There were 9 disciplines, 10 were planned, but the sailing had to be cancelled due to some technical shortages. For comparison, there are going to be 50 different disciplines on the nearest Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Although there are 5 times more disciplines than there were in 1896, it does not mean that since then the disciplines have been only added to the list. Many of the disciplines occurring in the past have been removed from the event and some of them were really extraordinary.
One of such sports is club swinging. A club swinger whirled two bowling pin looking objects around his or her body and head in order to create the most rhythmic and complicated routine movements. This discipline appeared twice on the Olympic Games – in 1904 and 1932.
Another fun discipline of this kind is distance plunging. The main goal of this competition was to dive into the water and stay motionless for one minute. A competitor could not move once he dived. The person who traveled the biggest distance after this one minute won. This discipline appeared only in 1904.
The third on the list is solo synchronized swimming. In a nutshell, similar to the team synchronized swimming, but performed solo. This competition took place only three times in the history of the Olympic Games – in 1984, 1988 and 1992.
Next discipline is unlikely to take place ever again and its name is live pigeon shooting. That is right, the goal of this competition was to shoot as many pigeons as one could. The person who shot the biggest number of the birds won. This competition was organized only on one Olympic Games event in 1900.
The last on the list is one and only town planning. It was one of the art-related competitions of the Olympic Games, which took place at the four events between 1928 and 1948. The art competitions in general, could only be seen on the Olympic Games between 1912 and 1948. They included rivalries related to literature, music, painting, sculpture and architecture.
Questions:
- Which of the disciplines do you find the most ridiculous?
- Which of the mentioned discipline would you like to see back in the Olympic Games?
- Are you going to watch any competitions of the Tokyo Olympics? Are you a fan of this kind of events?
Sources:
- https://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games/the-sports-events
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Olympics
- https://www.businessinsider.com/weirdest-olympic-sports-2012-7?IR=T#2-plunge-for-distance-diving-17
- https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/04/14/weird-olympic-sports/ https://thewayofimprovement.com/2016/08/17/lets-bring-club-swinging-back-to-the-olympic-games/
- top image source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-the-Olympic-Games
Comments
I think that I'd like to see chariot racing. That would actually be pretty interesting. Especially if you allow them to push them out of the road. On the other hand it would be also pretty dangerous so I doubt anyone would let that happen. The thing that I actually really need in modern olympic is letting one regular guy try to compete with sportsmen. That way we could see how much better they actually are.
I appreciate their effort and austerity of their work but without a context it is hard give them enough credit.
My answer to third question will be connected to the thing I've said previously - I'd like to see some comparision between sportsmen and regular people, because without it - even though I understand how hard it is to be where they are, it isn't entertaining enough. I will read about results but I won't watch Tokyo Olympics.
2. The only one that make sense is synchronous swimming. I still don't feel like I would like to see it but it seems the least ridicullous.
3. I am interested in fight sports so I will be fallowing wrestling and boxing. I will probably also check polish competitors scores in a few disciplines.
In my opinion such discipline is the bobsleigh. It is simply a competition in which the whole team, take part to accelerate the sled. As a result, those in whom the sleds were designed more correctly or technologically will win. Plus, this competition does not give a person any skills he may need in his daily lives.
Which discipline would you like to see back in the Olympic Games?
Definitely town planning. This competition combines many useful human skills such as spatial thinking and motor skills. But also because it is one of the few competitions in which not only physical but also mental development is required.
Are you going to watch any competitions of the Tokyo Olympics? Are you a fan of this kind of event?
No, I'm not going. I'm not very interested in the Olympics at all. Usually, I just check how many medals in the overall standings my national team has and that's it. I prefer international football competitions.
2. No, I won’t. These are terrible or stupid.
3. Probably yes, because the Polish competitors in Eventing will go to the Tokio and I would like to watch sport gymnastic. But I prefer watching Winter Olympic Games because I like SuperPipe, BigAir and Slopestyle and these are the only competitions in these disciplines which are fully transmitted.
Well they are all sound ridiculous but if I must choose one its distance plunging why did they even created something like this.
2. Which of the mentioned discipline would you like to see back in the Olympic Games?
Again, if I must choose then maybe pigeon shooting, they just need change this and that and it’s all good.
3. Are you going to watch any competitions of the Tokyo Olympics? Are you a fan of this kind of events?
If I have time, then why not. I like to watch this kind of event but fun… hmm I wouldn't call myself a fan.
2. The first one, the club swinging. it could have been very entertaining, but I'm not sure how it was evaluated. Was the complexity taken into account or mostly technique?
3. Probably not. I like sports but I prefer to do them rather than watch them ;) However, I will be interested in the buildings that erected for the event and the ideas to keep them alive. It is a big part of Olympic Architecture to build something that will be used more than once so the investment will bring more profits. For example, the Warsaw stadium is used not only for football matches but also for concerts and other events. There are some areas inside the building suitable for exhibitions. I'm wondering what Japan will do with their structures.
1. Pidgeons shooting is really ridiculous, these days this discipline can not come back, there are a lot of people who protect them.
2. I dont want to see any of them, but if I have to I would choose the diving, it is so stupid to watch and maybe it will be funny.
3. Yes, I am a big fan of watching Olympic Games. I have watched every time they happened. I am also interested how Tokyo will organise the infrastructure of this event. I hope it will be well organized.
I don’t know, maybe club swinging ? It looks pretty much like rhythmic gymnastics, but with this bowling pin looking thingy instead of a ribbon or ball. Feels pretty normal :)
Yep, I think so. I like to watch diving competitions on Olympics. Just to be clear - I know nothing about diving, I cannot even swim well, I have no idea why the hell I like to watch people jumping in the pool from a platform, but I just do :) Also sprint (100m) running is interesting, every year I’m curious is there some new awesome competitor to the champions from previous years. Both my parents were professional sprinters (not Olympics-level sprinters, but very good ones anyway), maybe I “inherited” that interest from them :)
Town planning, it would be really fun to watch new concepts created during competitions.
I don't think i will, maybe some highlights of it, but it's not like i'm going to see as much as possible.
2. I am glad that pigeon shooting is banned and i hope it wil be banned forever. I would like to see club swinging because it might look funny but i believe some swingers would create interesting fast routines. Maybe there should be fireshow discipline on same terms.
3. I am not much of a fan of Olympics. I would be just happy watching NBA match :)
2. I think watching distant immersion could be interesting. I wonder how long a human can swim without catching breath in the stressful situation which is a competition at the Olympics.
3. Of course I will watch the Olympic Games in Tokyo. I love athletics and all group sports and in particular I will keep my fingers crossed for our world champions - men's volleyball team.
Yes, I`ll watch Olympic Games in Tokyo, of course on TV). I`m betting, so it will be time to make some money.
2. Town planning.
3. Yes i am going to watch some competitions of the Tokyo Olympics, but i am not a big fan of this kind of events.