# What Olympic events could men and women compete together in? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 28, 2012, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-events-could-men-and-women-compete-together-in/629664 "2012-07-28T11:00:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![jakemccoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jakemccoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakemccoy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-events-could-men-and-women-compete-together-in/629664/81 "2012-08-17T08:13:19Z")
Ping pong Curling Archery Shooting However, I’m not interested in having co-ed competitions. There’s always going to be some kind of gender issue involved. The rules will be modified so that gender is not an advantage. That’s a problem in itself. Plus, whenever a male competes against females, the male’s mental game is not 100% there. For example, he may be easing up a bit subconsciously (“don’t hit a girl” mentality), or he may be thinking about how not to be turned on. Even if he could control his mentality, it could only have maybe 98% control at most. Anyway, it wouldn’t be 100% control. That tiny bit of mental lapse would be enough to lose at the Olympic level. If you keep the gender separate, then gender issues are impossible. ---
**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 17, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-events-could-men-and-women-compete-together-in/629664/82 "2012-08-17T13:13:39Z")
> [@jakemccoy](#): > > Ping pong > . Dude, no way. The men are significantly better at this one. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-events-could-men-and-women-compete-together-in/629664/83 "2012-08-19T23:07:45Z")
How about ultra-long distance swimming? It seems that when I hear of someone swimming across a Great Lake or other large body of water, often it is a woman. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-events-could-men-and-women-compete-together-in/629664/84 "2012-08-19T23:41:06Z")
Underwater checkers & boomerang freebee in two classes – above & under 100 lbs; weight limit 140. What? Not Olympic sports yet? Dang it, they ought to be! ---
**Author:** ![arcieres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@arcieres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arcieres)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-events-could-men-and-women-compete-together-in/629664/85 "2012-08-26T06:38:42Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > How about ultra-long distance swimming? It seems that when I hear of someone swimming across a Great Lake or other large body of water, often it is a woman. You have an incorrect idea about it, cause thise girls have been publicised a lot; but in ultra-long distance swimming, its the same, men have better performance than women. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-events-could-men-and-women-compete-together-in/629664/86 "2012-08-26T14:36:05Z")
What about events where a guy’s physical strength can be offset by a women’s limberness/flexibility? Gymnastics floor exercise, sychronized swimming… ---
**Author:** ![jakemccoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jakemccoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakemccoy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-events-could-men-and-women-compete-together-in/629664/87 "2012-08-26T16:12:53Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > What about events where a guy’s physical strength can be offset by a women’s limberness/flexibility? Gymnastics floor exercise, sychronized swimming… Then the point systems would have to be modified to accommodate each gender. For example, you couldn’t value a flexible maneuver over an equally difficult strength maneuver. Also, where would the point of equivalency be in the comparison? There’s no way to know for sure. Those judging sports are already too subjective. Combining the genders would only make things comical. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-olympic-events-could-men-and-women-compete-together-in/629664.md?page=4)