Roller Derby.
Candlepin bowling. A “perfect” game is basically impossible.
Mixed Martial Arts
I agree. I think I’d also add a couple more removal categories:
- Sports where the vast majority of serious players play in one major league (NBA, MLB for example)
- Sports where it’s played seriously in 2-3 primary countries, and by amateurs elsewhere.
Those just set up for one or two countries to dominate, or set it up for the players from that major league to dominate.
I mean, of the teams in the semifinals, there’s the USA team, made of NBA players, Australia and France have teams that are half NBA players, while Slovenia has 2 NBA players, one of which is Luka Doncic, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year a few years ago, and has been chosen for the All-NBA First Team two consecutive years. Where’s the fun in watching a bunch of NBA players play each other with a smattering of scrubs thrown in?
Competitive 3 Gun
Get every countries top police or military units to participate!
As crazy as it sounds, that’s not a bad choice. Unlike pro wrestling, it has rules that are not written in pencil, and are not ignored when it’s convenient for the champion. Problem is, I’d guess, that not enough countries participate in roller derby.
Still, great choice!
It must have been! I remember watching it as a teen in the 80s, and in my mind, it was the Olympics, but obviously not. Doesn’t make much sense that it’s never been included.
Does it meet the requirements listed previously?
“To be considered for the Olympics, a sport must be played on four continents and by at least 75 countries.”
The World Squash Federation boasts 150 members (all national bodies) so I don’t think reach is their problem. They’ve been lobbying the Olympics for years, by the looks of things, but lost out for Paris to break dancing, which they are quite upset about!
Paintball would be fun.
That’s standard at every squash court I’ve ever played at.
I’d like to see kendo at an Olympic level, although in practice it’d probably just result in Japan and South Korea sweeping the medals every time.
Heck, bring back dueling.
That’s covered by fencing and kendo.
Although it would make the pentathlon more exciting if they used flintlocks and were allowed to shoot other competitors, and used rapiers for the fencing.
Then there’s tank biathlon … I had no idea there was a real-life sensha-dō 
It now gets my vote!
No, I’m thinking more “real” dueling. Like shit just got real dueling.
It might be now, but not so much back in the 80s in my experience. It stuck out enough for me to remember it.
The squash courts I played at in the 80s (all in South Africa) all had them. Granted, they were probably all new-ish then.
I played in the 80s in college and all the courts had them as well. They were probably built in the 60s or earlier.
Just me then. All the courts I’d seen up to that point had a solid back wall, with a viewing platform high up the back wall.
Beach Volleyball
I seem to remember squash always having the transparent plexiglass fronts, but the racquetball court having opaque walls all around. This is in the 90s, US, Chicago and Chicago area, as it may vary regionally.