# What Olympic event would you have the best chance in? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 11, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403 "2016-08-11T01:03:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/1 "2016-08-11T01:03:36Z")
Most of us are not world class athletes, but if you had to pick an event to try out for, what would it be? I’m nearing 70 so the physical stuff is way out, but I might do semi-OK in the shooting events. I have a 12 year background of competitive shooting. I think with a good Beretta and a few months of practice I could tryout for the trap event. If my eyes were younger, maybe the prone rifle. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/2 "2016-08-11T01:15:07Z")
Trap shooting or Skeet. Have guns for each. Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/3 "2016-08-11T01:58:00Z")
I like to imagine that there’s an alternate universe version of me that stuck with Judo, and made it to the Olympics… ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/4 "2016-08-11T02:14:40Z")
The flat water kayakers would leave me far, far behind. But less far behind than I’d be left (metaphorically and literally) by the hurdlers, the cyclists, the triathletes, the pole vaulters, the gymnasts, the divers, the soccer players, the volleyballers, the sailors, the synchronized swimmers, the horse operators, the BMX folks, the archers, the weightlifters, the boxers, the fencers, and, well, pretty much everybody else… ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/5 "2016-08-11T02:18:39Z")
I’m a marathon runner, so that would be a natural choice. I’m nowhere close to world-class, but at least I’d finish in less than twice the time as the winners. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/6 "2016-08-11T02:22:58Z")
I envy the swimmers, even the worst one…I envy. I wish I could do it. But, it is nothing more than a pipe dream. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/7 "2016-08-11T02:25:18Z")
Handcycling-Paralympics. I’ll get _smoked_. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/8 "2016-08-11T02:26:31Z")
The opening parade. Hey, that’s an Olympic event! ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/9 "2016-08-11T02:40:02Z")
At my age, probably golf. I don’t ride horses or sail. I’d only finish 30 meters behind the winner in the 100m sprint, though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/10 "2016-08-11T02:58:36Z")
Curling? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/11 "2016-08-11T03:03:55Z")
Back in the day…a long time ago…Long jump. Now-a-days, I’d be world class at rebooting some servers after power surge event that happened to be in the olympics’ datacenter. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/12 "2016-08-11T03:04:30Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Curling? I was gonna say the same thing. My club has actually produced a couple of junior national champions and definite Olympic hopefuls in the next few years, although they’ve moved to the midwest to have more practice and better competition. I may well get to play against an olympian someday. I think it’d be fun to try some of the sports like shooting and sailing, but there’s no real reason to think I’d be any good at them. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/13 "2016-08-11T03:28:15Z")
I was going to say curling too. After every winter Olympics I swear I’m going to take up curling. My seven-year-old son loved gymnastics for a while and he seemed to be pretty good (and limber), but he got sick of it. Now he’s going to take fencing this winter. I may have an Olympian yet! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/14 "2016-08-11T03:58:34Z")
Curling is I had a decade to prepare. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/15 "2016-08-11T04:08:22Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I was going to say curling too. After every winter Olympics I swear I’m going to take up curling. I don’t know of any clubs in Michigan, but definitely check it out if you can. Although if it’s anything like around here, our open houses are swamped in Winter Olympics years. If you can find a place to try it this coming winter, it’ll probably be less crowded and a better experience. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/16 "2016-08-11T04:17:44Z")
The US’ first gold was in 10-meter air rifle. 10 meters!? That’s incredibly short distance. I know that the bullseye is only 0.5mm, but still, couldn’t they up it to 50m and increase the bullseye? Rifle I wouldn’t win, but hopefully I’d get 31 of 32 or something. For skeet or something I’d have to practice the stations. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/17 "2016-08-11T04:33:13Z")
Being male, 5’6", and born a decade too early for the libero rule, I wouldn’t have been a good volleyball choice in my 20s, but that would definitely be my choice now. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/18 "2016-08-11T05:01:45Z")
Soccer goalkeeper. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/19 "2016-08-11T05:07:07Z")
Match rifle. I qualified to try out for our Olympic team years ago–didn’t make it, though I came close–but I’m still a better shot with a rifle than anybody I know. Heck, friends still ask me to sight in their rifles. Just don’t ask me to run, jump, or play team sports. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403/20 "2016-08-11T08:36:08Z")
I killed it at shot put two years in a row during Middle School Field Day. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-event-would-you-have-the-best-chance-in/762403.md?page=2)