Summer Olympics – Weird Sports from the past
The Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the Olympiad, is an extremely popular international event featuring many different sports held once every four years. The Games were first held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and were most recently held in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This year Tokyo, Japan, has the honours.
With the Olympics soon to be hosted in Tokyo, Japan, towards the end of July – we thought we’d share with you some sports you’ve probably never heard of or even knew were an Olympic sport, to begin with. So sit back and enjoy because we are sure one or two of these will have you laughing and raising your eyebrows.
Summer Olympics – Weird Sports from the past
Race Walking
Guess what? Since 1904, Race walking has been an Olympic sport. A bit weird, don’t you think? In this game, you have to try your hardest to be the quickest without actually ever running. Competitors must always ensure that one foot is on the ground, or they’ll end up being disqualified from the race. It’s like when your parents tell you to stop running. You quit running, but you aren’t precisely walking either. Now it all makes sense! You were training to be a racewalker, weren’t you?
Trampolining
In Sydney at the 2000 games, Trampolining made its debut and is set to continue in Tokyo, Japan, this year.
Now don’t get too excited; just because you can bounce and do summersaults on the trampoline in your back garden, it doesn’t mean you’re off to the Olympics in 4 years. Officials say it takes an enormous amount of skill, balance, body control and athleticism to win a gold medal in this sport.
Summer Olympics – Weird Sports from the past continued
Pigeon Shooting
Caution: If you love animals, skip this one. We are sad to tell you but long ago, pigeon shooting was an actual Olympic sport. It made its first and thankfully only appearance at the 1900 Olympic games in France. Belgian Leon de Lunden won the gold medal because he managed to shoot 21 actual pigeons out of the sky. Today, shooting is still an Olympic sport. Today, pigeons have Clay targets have replaced pigeons, and it’s now known as skeet shooting. We think the pigeons are probably happy about this one. Goodness!
Tug-of-war
Once a very competitive Olympic sport, tug of war pits two teams against one another as they struggle and strain to pull a rope past a certain point. Historians say Great Britain won the most medals in this event. However, Tug-of-war won’t be featuring this year as it was only an Olympic event until 1920.
La Canne
La what? Similar to fencing, where opponents battle each other with swords, La Canne swops the swords for canes. For one time only in the history of the Olympics, men thrashed each other with long sticks and called it a competition. It was then dropped from the line-up. Shooweeee, we can’t say we are sorry to see this one go!
That’s a wrap on the weirdest sports to enter the Olympics. Stay tuned as we pull out all sorts of crazy facts and insane records you didn’t know about in the lead up to the biggest sporting event in the world.
Resource:
https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/05/sport/olympics-strangest-events-trnd/index.html
Summer Olympics - Weird Sports from the Past
Weird Workouts
The Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the Olympiad, is an extremely popular international event featuring many different sports held once every four years.
The Games were first held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and were most recently held in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This year Tokyo, Japan, has the honours.
With the Olympics soon to be hosted in Tokyo, Japan, towards the end of July – we thought we’d share some sports you’ve probably never heard of or even knew were an Olympic sport, to begin with.
So sit back and enjoy, we are sure one or two of these will have you laughing and raising your eyebrows.
Race Walking:
Guess what?
Since 1904, race walking has been an Olympic sport.
A bit weird, don’t you think?
In this game, you have to try your hardest to be the quickest without actually ever running.
Competitors must always ensure that one foot is on the ground, or they’ll end up being disqualified from the race.
It’s like when your parents tell you to stop running.
You quit running, but you aren’t precisely walking either.
Now it all makes sense!
You were training to be a racewalker, weren’t you?
Trampolining:
In Sydney at the 2000 games, Trampolining made its debut and is set to continue in Tokyo, Japan, this year.
Now don’t get too excited; just because you can bounce and do summersaults on the trampoline in your back garden, it doesn’t mean you’re off to the Olympics in 4 years.
Officials say it takes an enormous amount of skill, balance, body control and athleticism to win a gold medal in this sport.
Pigeon Shooting:
Caution: If you are squirmish, skip this one.
We are sad to tell you but long ago, pigeon shooting was an actual Olympic sport.
It made its first and thankfully only appearance at the 1900 Olympic games in France.
Belgian Leon de Lunden won the gold medal because he managed to shoot 21 actual pigeons out of the sky.
Today, shooting is still an Olympic sport.
Today, pigeons have Clay targets have replaced pigeons, and it’s now known as skeet shooting.
We think the pigeons are probably happy about this one.
Goodness!
Tug-of-War:
Once a very competitive Olympic sport, tug of war pits two teams against one another as they struggle and strain to pull a rope past a certain point.
Historians say Great Britain won the most medals in this event.
However, Tug-of-war won’t be featuring this year as it was only an Olympic event until 1920.
La Canne:
La what? Similar to fencing, where opponents battle each other with swords, La Canne swops the swords for canes.
For one time only in the history of the Olympics, men thrashed each other with long sticks and called it a competition. It was then dropped from the line-up.
Shooweeee, we can’t say we are sorry to see this one go!
That’s a wrap on the weirdest sports to enter the Olympics.
Stay tuned as we pull out all sorts of crazy facts and insane records you didn’t know about in the lead up to the biggest sporting event in the world.
Weird Workouts
The Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the Olympiad, is an extremely popular international event featuring many different sports held once every four years.
The Games were first held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and were most recently held in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This year Tokyo, Japan, has the honours.
With the Olympics soon to be hosted in Tokyo, Japan, towards the end of July – we thought we’d share some sports you’ve probably never heard of or even knew were an Olympic sport, to begin with.
So sit back and enjoy, we are sure one or two of these will have you laughing and raising your eyebrows.
Race Walking:
Guess what?
Since 1904, race walking has been an Olympic sport.
A bit weird, don’t you think?
In this game, you have to try your hardest to be the quickest without actually ever running.
Competitors must always ensure that one foot is on the ground, or they’ll end up being disqualified from the race.
It’s like when your parents tell you to stop running.
You quit running, but you aren’t precisely walking either.
Now it all makes sense!
You were training to be a racewalker, weren’t you?
Trampolining:
In Sydney at the 2000 games, Trampolining made its debut and is set to continue in Tokyo, Japan, this year.
Now don’t get too excited; just because you can bounce and do summersaults on the trampoline in your back garden, it doesn’t mean you’re off to the Olympics in 4 years.
Officials say it takes an enormous amount of skill, balance, body control and athleticism to win a gold medal in this sport.
Pigeon Shooting:
Caution: If you are squirmish, skip this one.
We are sad to tell you but long ago, pigeon shooting was an actual Olympic sport.
It made its first and thankfully only appearance at the 1900 Olympic games in France.
Belgian Leon de Lunden won the gold medal because he managed to shoot 21 actual pigeons out of the sky.
Today, shooting is still an Olympic sport.
Today, pigeons have Clay targets have replaced pigeons, and it’s now known as skeet shooting.
We think the pigeons are probably happy about this one.
Goodness!
Tug-of-War:
Once a very competitive Olympic sport, tug of war pits two teams against one another as they struggle and strain to pull a rope past a certain point.
Historians say Great Britain won the most medals in this event.
However, Tug-of-war won’t be featuring this year as it was only an Olympic event until 1920.
La Canne:
La what? Similar to fencing, where opponents battle each other with swords, La Canne swops the swords for canes.
For one time only in the history of the Olympics, men thrashed each other with long sticks and called it a competition. It was then dropped from the line-up.
Shooweeee, we can’t say we are sorry to see this one go!
That’s a wrap on the weirdest sports to enter the Olympics.
Stay tuned as we pull out all sorts of crazy facts and insane records you didn’t know about in the lead up to the biggest sporting event in the world.
