Some of the later gymnastics is in effect dancing. That's why the real meet is held first, same as swimming. The synchronised swimming and rhythm gymnastics always come last as they are stupid and everyone ignores them. The break dancing was an absolute joke as they seemed to have forgotten to actually advertise for real dance talent to be entered and have any sort of a standard It was an utter joke.
Again unpopular opinion but I don’t think team sports belong in the olympics - daft to me but not overly fussed Dressage is surely just horses dancing ?
Well that's bullshit Without the Olympics Hockey would get no funding or exposure at all. The Olympics is the pinnacle of Hockey. Other than Breaking, I think the Olympics has the right balance of sports. The only exceptions being Squash (which is in for 2028) and Netball (which doesn't do men's a prerequisite for the Olympics these days). And Boxing, which is currently too corrupt to be in the Olympics atm. Football (mens) has got it right to limit to u23s, Women's hasn't got it right (just a lesser version of the WC)
Think bullshit is harsh because it’s just my opinion on the olympics But if you are allowing horse dancing Flouncy dancing Darts Weird ass version of football Smaller rugby Then I don’t see why Breaking shouldn’t be in there too ? for me the pinnacle of any team game should be the World Cup of it’s sport But sadly that’s not always the case I would get rid of all team stuff and the medals table and make it pure individual So you are an Olympian luckily I hold no sway with anyone seems to have been plenty of controversy in many of the sports this time around
Foreword: I'm just playing devil's advocate here... I don't think any of this crap should be in the Olympics... Historically it doesn't have to be a sport. In the region between 1900 and the 1950s there were Olympic medals handed out for painting, essay writing, sculpture, and even bloody architecture. These weren't just one or two time events... These were regular contested events for decades. Now, in today's TV centric era, paintings and drawing architectural diagrams might be a bit boring to judge and watch but for some, dancing might be considered enjoyable to watch.
I think it should be restricted to amateur, dilettante gentlemen and involve traditional stuff like fishing, golf, and peasant shooting.
Some team sports like relays and such are ok? I'd agree large scale team sports being added is not great. Football, rugby 7s even, basketball and some others are just not really suit the olympics as they are not the pinnacle of the sport and never will be. Fishing is not in the olympics? For shame. There is clay target shooting and golf though. 2 out of 3 ain't bad? There's also fencing (I missed this rotally) and pistol shooting so dueling is taken care of. there's also wrestling for the public school boys I have not seen anthing nvolving a pigs head though.
I’ve said for a while that the Olympics should be the pinnacle for the sport. If it’s not, it doesn’t need to be in the Olympics. football has no need - although at least they restrict it to under 23. Sane with tennis, golf, soon to be cricket. Personal opinion but I have no interest watching any of those on the Olympics as I can watch better standard all year round. I can’t do that with athletics (world champs obv just below Olympics), shooting, swimming etc.
It was never meant to be the pinnacle of sport because it was restricted to amateurs. Once the athletes needed sponsorship money in order to be able to compete, the lines were blurred. I think only boxing and wrestling remain amateur.
That’s the nail on the head right there I think But the almighty dollar controls it Problem is how many would watch the sports if it were 100% amateur
In fairness thr amateur aspect hasn't been a factor since the 1970s and since seoul in 1988 all sports could be pro. There was a boxer in the last Olympics who was a pro but still fighting the amateur form. Like.... it's 36 years and really more like 40 so the olympics is long since a destination for pros. The break dancing rubbish and the terrible sakeboarding shows what amateur and poorly organised sport looks like. The olympics is a high mark for a lot of very well organised global sports. These sports have proper governing bodies and standard and global and regional contests what all cost money so to expect standards like thst without athletes being pro is unrealistic.
In the 1896 Olympics, there was one Italian who decided to walk to Athens in part to help keep up his endurance (he was a marathon runner). He walked the entire distance, setting off months before the opening. He got there and was asked if he was a professional, had he ever won a cash prize for athletics... He said "no, not a professional, but I did win a cash prize one time.". He was disqualified on the spot and unable to compete. And that's why you should never walk to the Olympics. Had to look up the year... Because I couldn't remember it... But it was 1904 America's first Olympics. Almost no one from outside the US attended because it was held in the middle of the USA in St. Louis which was really hard to get to. There was so little competition that a peg leg man won a bunch of gold medals for gymnastics... The winner of the marathon ended up being disqualified after it was discovered he was in a car for most of the race. The guy who finished next was seriously Ill from strichnine and alcohol poisoning and hallucinating as he finished the race.. (No laws against drugs back then and strichnine in low doses enhances performances) I don't remember all the crazy things that happened in that race but all sorts of people collapsed or eliminated for silly reasons and contestants being attacked by dogs and farmers... Shame the Olympics isn't as much fun anymore.
