Sports that should be dumped from the summer Olympics

[FireGilbert]

Agree with equestrian, sailing and, archery. I can handle the shooting but wish they would make it more like the winter biathlon. Have them run 10k while shooting targets and I will be interested. Here are a couple others that will be more controversial:

200m: We have the 100m and 400m for sprinting, do we really need one in the middle?

Soccer (specifically mens) : The Olympics should be about the best vs the best. The best soccer is at the World Cup while the Olympic tournament is for Under 23s and is missing many soccer powerhouses. There are only 4 Europeans teams in the tournament, but Fiji gets to go? Get rid of it!

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Slava

To me there are a laundry list of sports that should be removed from the olympics, and it begins with all the judged events:

- gymnastics
- boxing (as much as it pains me to say it)
- diving/synchro diving
- synchro swimming
- dressage

I don't know...the list goes on. Are some of these impressive? Yeah, absolutely. But really if you can't measure or see the winner obviously then it should be out.

How do you feel about figure skating? I know, its a winter sport, but I'm curious.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Itse

Swimming has 30+ events? Lose about 20. Fast is fast, style is irrelevant.

This is more along the lines I was thinking when I first saw this thread. Instead of targeting "one off" events, how bout focusing on 20 different versions of the same damn sport, like swimming/rowing/diving, etc.

...of course, swimming has been rather kind to us this year, and rowing traditionally is too. So that may be a few potential medals we'd be giving away if that were to happen

[KelVarnsen]

5 star thread.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

This is more along the lines I was thinking when I first saw this thread. Instead of targeting "one off" events, how bout focusing on 20 different versions of the same damn sport, like swimming/rowing/diving, etc.

...of course, swimming has been rather kind to us this year, and rowing traditionally is too. So that may be a few potential medals we'd be giving away if that were to happen

How do you determine what to get rid of?

Swimming, for example, is made of of varied distances to account for the fact that there are fast swimmers and there are endurance swimmers, two entirely different athletes. And then divided by discipline: free/breast/fly/back. Is fly more swimming than breast stroke?

[Puppet Guy]

Originally Posted by nik-

In all honesty though, I'd be totally fine with them taking all judged aesthetics events out.

Originally Posted by puckedoff

You mean women's beach volleyball?

not to derail the thread, but I've always wondered why women's beach volleyball is an Olympic sport and foxy-boxing isn't.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Flacker

How do you determine what to get rid of?

Swimming, for example, is made of of varied distances to account for the fact that there are fast swimmers and there are endurance swimmers, two entirely different athletes. And then divided by discipline: free/breast/fly/back. Is fly more swimming than breast stroke?

The style should be irrelevant. It's a ridiculous idea that it even matters. What ever gets you there fastest.

Competitive back swimming is like competitive walking, just silly. For a specialized swimming championship tournament, fine, go crazy, split the sport into as many parts as you like.

But in the olympics swimming should be swimming. Various distances and relays are fine, if you don't go overboard with those either.

And yeah, 200m run is a completely unnecessary event too.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Flacker

How do you determine what to get rid of?

Swimming, for example, is made of of varied distances to account for the fact that there are fast swimmers and there are endurance swimmers, two entirely different athletes. And then divided by discipline: free/breast/fly/back. Is fly more swimming than breast stroke?

Long endurance swims and normal swims. No style requirements. Swim however will make you swim as fast as possible.

[Mister Yamoto]

Don't be taking away my Dressage.

The only summer Olympic sport I like is boxing. But I don't like Amateur/Olympic boxing.

There is a reason that these athletes only get recognition during the Olympics. Because from a spectator standpoint, for the most part these events suck.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

took a quick look around at continental championships

Sports in the Pan Am Games but not in the Olympics (as of 2016)
Baseball
Billiards
Bowling
Karate
Racquetball
Roller Sports
Squash
Water Skiing

Sports in the European Games but not in the Olympics
Karate
Sambo
*3 on 3 basketball and 6 on 6 soccer

Sports in the Asian Games but not in the Olympics
Baseball
Bridge
Bowling
Cricket
Khabaddi
Martial Arts (Jujutsu, Karate, Kurash, Pencak Silat, Wushu)
Sepak Takraw
Sports Climbing

Sports in African Games but not in Olympics
Karate
Petanque
Nzango

Bridge!?

Might as well put Solitaire in there, too. Hey everybody! I'm going to the Asian Games!

[You Need a Thneed]

I'd honestly rather see more events, and include some "silly" things.

Three legged race
Wheelbarrow race
100 vs 100 tug o war
More all around athlete events - modern pentathlon, but different.
Team all around event - one team with the same players competing in multiple sports - sports could include relay events
Poker
Chess
Darts
Tchoukball
Dodgeball
Murderball
Musical Chairs
Parkour
Cricket
Lawn Darts
Bowling
3 on 3 basketball
Drunken Slo Pitch
Lawn Bowling
Pillow Fighting
Amazing Race
Hopping on one leg race
Slam Dunk Contest
Soccer - Penalty Kicks Single elimination contest
Ultimate Frisbee
Robot Wars

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Flacker

How do you determine what to get rid of?

Swimming, for example, is made of of varied distances to account for the fact that there are fast swimmers and there are endurance swimmers, two entirely different athletes. And then divided by discipline: free/breast/fly/back. Is fly more swimming than breast stroke?

I just think it'd be like having in the Winter Olympics different hockey tournaments for left handed shooters and right handed shooters. Then different timed events between them, one for 20min games, another for 40min, and another for 60. So now you have 6 different gold medals essentially for one sport. I know that's not a perfect comparison, but it's kinda what it feels like.

For the record, I'm not wanting events pulled. I'm just saying for the purpose of this thread, if you HAD to pull X number of events out, it'd be in these types of events I'd look first.

[Bunk]

I'm surprised Squash is NOT in. Seems like it would be a perfect Olympic sport.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

How do you feel about figure skating? I know, its a winter sport, but I'm curious.

It should be gone. Like I say, its not a question of whether these things are impressive or difficult to do, because they certainly are. Its that its entirely subjective. Is it really a sport if you have opinions on who won? I think no.

Obviously its never going to happen that they remove gymnastics and figure skating as they're two of the most popular events. Like I mentioned in my post, I love boxing. At the games though we've seen boxers clearly get shafted with the judging. One fighter against someone who happens to have his country as head of the federation and suddenly the scores are ratcheting up for them. I have no faith that this type of things can be cleaned up because there is too much money and prestige on the line.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Bunk

I'm surprised Squash is NOT in. Seems like it would be a perfect Olympic sport.

"The international olympic committee (ioc) today agreed to add baseball/softball, karate, skateboard, sports climbing and surfing to the sports programme for the olympic games Tokyo 2020."

https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-app...mes-tokyo-2020

Apparently bowling, squash and wushu were cut from the shortlist.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

I'd honestly rather see more events, and include some "silly" things.

Three legged race
Wheelbarrow race
100 vs 100 tug o war
More all around athlete events - modern pentathlon, but different.
Team all around event - one team with the same players competing in multiple sports - sports could include relay events
Poker
Chess
Darts
Tchoukball
Dodgeball
Murderball
Musical Chairs
Parkour
Cricket
Lawn Darts
Bowling
3 on 3 basketball
Drunken Slo Pitch
Lawn Bowling
Pillow Fighting
Amazing Race
Hopping on one leg race
Slam Dunk Contest
Soccer - Penalty Kicks Single elimination contest
Ultimate Frisbee
Robot Wars

I know this post is made in jest, but how awesome would it be to have a parkour race? Do it like snowboarding where you have a timed element and a style element for tricks. I'd watch that.

Also pillow fighting...female only of course.

[Muta]

I'd also like to add, you may as well add laser tag or paintball to the games if shooting and archery are in it. At least the targets are moving. Guaranteed those events would get higher viewership.

Could you imagine the US paintball team (Delta Force's off-season) versus Canada's paintball team (JTF'2's off-season)? Absolute money.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I know this post is made in jest, but how awesome would it be to have a parkour race? Do it like snowboarding where you have a timed element and a style element for tricks. I'd watch that.

Also pillow fighting...female only of course.

http://www.wfpf.com/

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Puppet Guy

not to derail the thread, but I've always wondered why women's beach volleyball is an Olympic sport and foxy-boxing isn't.

Foxy boxing isn't played in an organized fashion on three continents or more and it does not have a world championship that is held at least once every two years.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Foxy boxing isn't played in an organized fashion on three continents or more and it does not have a world championship that is held at least once every two years.

Competitive Pole Dancing on the other hand...