# Current Olympic sports you want to get rid of

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-olympic-sports-you-want-to-get-rid-of/681968>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [February 22, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-olympic-sports-you-want-to-get-rid-of/681968 "2014-02-22T20:11:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 52

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**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-olympic-sports-you-want-to-get-rid-of/681968/52 "2014-02-26T05:20:56Z")

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I’m really mellow about this whole sports thing these days, so only four really stick out right now:

Racewalking - I don’t mind the “whispering the loudest” aspect. Lots of sports impose artificial limits on the competitors (soccer, greco-roman wrestling, fencing, hockey, heck, every sport martial art ever). My problem is that it’s athletes making endlessly repetitive unnatural motions, with a scowling official constantly hovering by just itching to whip up a red circle the size of a freaking cantaloupe every time the walker makes the tiniest slipup. And this goes on for **hours**. Where the bloody hell does the concept of “fun” enter into this?

Soccer - I’ll make one concession: If the Olympics ever were to become an all-amateur spectacle again, or at least make this particular event all-amateur, it’d have its place. Otherwise, meaningless poor man’s World Cup.

Tennis - Same deal as soccer. Actually even worse because nobody even tries to _pretend_ that this is a big deal.

Solo synchronized swimming - This…just…what the…all right, ha ha ha, very funny, good one, thanks for livening up our day blah blah etc. Now, as with that skiing in a straight line thing, let’s just acknowledge how phenomenally stupid an idea this was and allow it to die a quiet death, okay?

And since it’s come up, if I may get on my soapbox again about judged events: They have a long history, they’re insanely popular, and they’ve provided some truly breathtaking Olympic moments. These spectacles have earned their place in the Olympics. Notice I said “spectacles” and not “sports”, because they’re _not_ sports, and, as such, **should not get the same freaking awards as the actual sports**. Bracelets, wreaths, necklaces, armbands, belts, whatever, fine, just something that’s _not medals_ and, more importantly, _does not get counted with the medals_. Keep 'em, just put 'em in their proper place, that’s all.

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