While I was watching the Sydney Olympic Games I heard the term demo sport used several times. I was wondering what these demo sports are, what makes them different from “regular” sports, and how they are choosen.
I’m pretty sure the Olympics got rid of demonstration sports after 1992 or 1994. It used to be that a local organizing committee would put on a competition involving a sport not on the schedule in order to see if it drew enough interest to make it a full medal sport.
In 1984, tennis and baseball were tried out and both eventually made it to the Varsity as it were.
Others have not fared as well.
However, the IOC doesn’t require that intermediate step anymore because it feels that there are enough events already. You either start out ready to go or you don’t go at all.
I believe that Salt Lake City 2002 will be the second appearance of the sport of skeleton. It’s like luge except you go down the track headfirst.
I was almost certain though that Ballroom dancing (or dance sport) were present at the Sydney games as a demo sport, and I have also heard talk that surfing is a possible demo sport in the next Olympics.
Nope, there was no ballroom dancing. There was no surfing. Ballroom dancing’s federation has been recognized by the IOC which means it can lobby the IOC to be included on the official schedule, but it was not contested in Sydney in any way that was connected to the Olympics.
I think ballroom dancing’s presence in the 2000 Olympics is well on its way to urban legend status.
What did happen is that there was dancesport in the closing ceremonies. Part of the reason that this UL is getting started is that everyone in the ballroom press got all excited that there was going to be a “demonstration of dancesport” as part of the Olympics, and a lot of people heard about it from their dancing friends. Now DanceScape is trying to get people to sign complaints to NBC because the demonstration didn’t get good TV coverage. It’s really kind of pathetic.