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—By Eric Chalifour
Here is a look at some of
the stranger actual events in the history of the modern Olympics.
Live Pigeon
Shooting
The 1900 Paris Olympics has
the distinction of being the only Olympics where athletes killed animals for
sport. Belgium’s Leon Lunden took home the gold with 21 downed birds, with a
total of 300 birds being killed during the competition.
Tug-of-War
Remember playing Tug-of-War in
elementary school during gym class? In the early days of the modern Olympics,
this event was a mainstay of the games, with the Tug-of-War being held at every
Olympiad as a track-and-field event between the years 1900 and 1920. The sports’
greatest scandal came in 1908 when the City of London Police Club purportedly
wore illegal footwear that was so heavy the men had trouble moving their
feet.
The champions were as follows:
1900, a combination Swedish/Danish team; 1904: the Milwaukee Athletic Club,
representing Team USA; 1906: Germany/Switzerland; 1908: The London Police Club,
representing Great Britain; 1912: Sweden; and 1920: Great
Britain.
Racewalking (20km and
50km)
It seems ridiculous that
racewalking continues to be an Olympic sport while more popular sports like
baseball and cricket continue to be snubbed by the Olympic Committee. For the
uninformed, Racewalking differs from running in that competitors must maintain
contact with the ground at all times with at least one foot. While the event is
very technically difficult (competitors are continually judged for proper form
and docked if caught using illegal technique), there is nothing exciting about
watching a bunch of people walking at a brisk pace. Finally, it doesn’t help
that the athletes look like constipated penguins when competing. See for
yourself.
Rope
Climbing
One of the more unusual events
in the history of the modern Olympic movement, Rope Climbing was part of the
gymnastics programs in 1896, 1904, 1906, 1924 and 1932. Starting in a seated
position, competitors raced to the top of a roughly 8-meter rope and were judged
on both their time and style. In the 1986 Olympics,
The sport is enjoying a
resurgence in France and the Czech Republic, giving hope for those who wish to
see this event return to the Olympic Games.
Dueling
Pistols
It is hard to believe that
dueling pistols was an actual Olympic event, but it was part of the 1906 Athens
Olympics. Despite the name of the event, competitors were forced to fire at
mannequins with bulls eyes affixed to their chests. Evidently,
the lack of bloodshed made this shooting event unpopular, as it was not renewed
in future Olympics.
Solo Synchronized
Swimming
Solo Synchronized Swimming was
an official Olympic sport between 1984 and 1992. What’s most shocking about this
is that it took the IOC three Olympics to realize that the sport is an oxymoron
since a person swimming alone cannot be synchronized with someone else. In
reality, competitors were judged for their synchronization with the music. Quite
frankly, we’re OK if this event never returns from the abyss of retired Olympic
sports.
—By Eric Chalifour
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