# Worst Olympic Events **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 30, 2008, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447 "2008-04-30T07:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/21 "2008-04-30T16:49:27Z")
[QUOTE=even sven] Yeah! The pentathalon is the BEST event! It the perfect mix of randomness, anachronism and general WTFness. All sports should aspire to be that cool. [/QUOTE] Similarly with the biathlon for the winter games. A seemingly random mix of skiing and shooting, its supposed to simulate what a soldier in Arctic conditions must do - ski as hard as you can, then try to calm yourself enough to shoot straight. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/22 "2008-04-30T17:08:26Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] 1. Luge. Luge is a sport beyond any doubt or question, but it appears to be a sport that was invented solely to be in the Olympics. I think Olympic sports should be things that people do anyway even if they have no shot at the Olympic games; people dive, swim, run, play hockey, do gymnastics, and all that stuff all the time. Nobody luges except to make it to the Olympics. [/QUOTE] Jerry Seinfeld (I think) has a bit about luge. The line goes something like this: “It’s the only sport I’ve ever seen where you could have people competing in it against their will and it would be exactly the same.” ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/23 "2008-04-30T17:50:01Z")
They ought to take out the sports where the Olympics isn’t the be all and end all. Olympic basketball? Does anybody really give a rat’s ass who wins the Olympic basketball tournament? There are other basketball competitions that are a lot, LOT more important than the Olympics in basketball, so Olympic basketball is a low-stakes “all stars” kind of game. Stupid. Whereas those track and field people have worked their whole lives for this specific opportunity. Axe tennis, basketball, baseball, definitely soccer, etc. Modern pentathlon is AWESOME and should indeed be done in period costume. ETA - checking Wikipedia, did you guys know that between 1900 and 1920 we played tug of war at the Olympics? That is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/24 "2008-04-30T18:17:58Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] The sport I can’t stand is race walking. Wow, that is a super useful athletic ability. If there is a bear chasing would you walk like some doofus making sure both your feet are always touching or would you be sprinting like a motherfuck as though your life depended on it? And where do you practice without getting your ass kicked? [/QUOTE] Agreed. Unless they had to do it over rice paper without tearing it, while carrying a pot of coals, and big wooden mechanized dummies swung spears at them. Kung fu movies are filled with training and test montages that would make uberawesome events. ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/25 "2008-04-30T18:37:16Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] The high jump record is 8 feet. 8 feet. Measure that on the wall next to you and then stare at it for a while. Still think that isn’t a worthy athletic feat? [/QUOTE] It should be on Letterman’s ‘Stupid human tricks’. What is the point of it? ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/26 "2008-04-30T18:38:47Z")
[QUOTE=fluiddruid] **blinkingblinking** , what has gotten into you? If you want to call out another user, the appropriate place is the Pit, not in the middle of a Game Room thread. You’re acting jerkishly. This is a warning to cut it out. [/QUOTE] Well I am sorry for the language. The sentiment seems true. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/27 "2008-04-30T18:40:33Z")
[QUOTE=blinkingblinking] It should be on Letterman’s ‘Stupid human tricks’. What is the point of it? [/QUOTE] You could turn that question on any athletic endeavor. What’s the point of spinning around and throwing a disc or a heavy ball? What’s the point of kicking a ball into a goal? ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/28 "2008-04-30T18:43:45Z")
[QUOTE=1920s Style “Death Ray”] Yes, much better to sprint like a motherfuck for 100m then stop, absolutely fucked, while the bear ambles over and eats you. [/QUOTE] A grizzly [bear](http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004737.html) can run 30mph. I don’t see how strolling away is going to help you. Especially if you are running into a cabin or something. And there is no event that I can think of where a race walker can beat a runner. Certainly no one is race walking in the Badwater Ultramarathon (Death Valley to Mt. Whitney race). They are walking at times, but that’s because it’s freakin’ 135 miles long. It has been won multiple times by a woman, however. > [@](#): > > The Olympic sports I have a problem with are ones that require judging and team sports. I think Olympic sports should be individual against individual and should not be open to subjective interpretation. > > I’m confused why cycling is not a sport, if not a sport, what is it? At least we can agree there. However, I like synchronized gymnastics just because it has the [hottest chicks](http://english.pravda.ru/photo/report/kabaeva-608/7/). I still don’t think it’s a sport, but I find it pretty entertaining in a pervy kind of way. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/29 "2008-04-30T19:01:38Z")
[QUOTE=blinkingblinking] It should be on Letterman’s ‘Stupid human tricks’. What is the point of it? [/QUOTE] What is the point of you posting to this board at all? What is the point of Life? What is the point of kittens? ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/30 "2008-04-30T19:12:42Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] What is the point of you posting to this board at all? What is the point of Life? What is the point of kittens? [/QUOTE] I am sorry to have upset you. ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/31 "2008-04-30T19:19:22Z")
the one i dont get is the first event where a team from each country carries a flag. its so stupid they dont even bother to announce the winner. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/32 "2008-04-30T19:26:11Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] . . . What is the point of kittens? [/QUOTE] [Required picks here.](http://kittenwar.com/kittens/winners/) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/33 "2008-04-30T19:27:40Z")
[QUOTE=bryanmaguire] the one i dont get is the first event where a team from each country carries a flag. its so stupid they dont even bother to announce the winner. [/QUOTE] Well, the Greeks always seem to come in first. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/34 "2008-04-30T19:42:22Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Have they $#!!canned the equestrian or have the media just stopped covering it? [/QUOTE] [It’s still around.](http://www.infoplease.com/spot/summer-olympics-equestrian.html) As the final paragraph of the linked article states, the events will not be contested in Beijing, but in Hong Kong. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/35 "2008-04-30T20:23:03Z")
Curling, if you can smoke while doing it it ain’t a fucking sport. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/36 "2008-05-01T00:52:55Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] A grizzly [bear](http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004737.html) can run 30mph. I don’t see how strolling away is going to help you. Especially if you are running into a cabin or something. And there is no event that I can think of where a race walker can beat a runner. Certainly no one is race walking in the Badwater Ultramarathon (Death Valley to Mt. Whitney race). They are walking at times, but that’s because it’s freakin’ 135 miles long. It has been won multiple times by a woman, however. [/QUOTE] Thanks for missing the point. I wasn’t saying you should walk away from the bear really fast, the point is that it is extremely silly to judge olympic sports based on how useful it is in escaping a bear. Walking is no different in concept from any of the swimming strokes that aren’t as fast as the Australian crawl. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/37 "2008-05-01T00:58:29Z")
[QUOTE=1920s Style “Death Ray”] Thanks for missing the point. I wasn’t saying you should walk away from the bear really fast, the point is that it is extremely silly to judge olympic sports based on how useful it is in escaping a bear. Walking is no different in concept from any of the swimming strokes that aren’t as fast as the Australian crawl. [/QUOTE] What if we actually added a bear to the contest? A hungry one. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/38 "2008-05-01T05:44:24Z")
I would have to say that if you were sent down a luge run against your will, you would fall off the sled within seconds and you would have a long and painful slide down through the run. If you’re lucky, you’ll still be in one piece. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/39 "2008-05-01T06:14:28Z")
[QUOTE=BobT] I would have to say that if you were sent down a luge run against your will, you would fall off the sled within seconds and you would have a long and painful slide down through the run. If you’re lucky, you’ll still be in one piece. [/QUOTE] Way to suck all the life out of a joke! Anyway, i’m another believer that, if an event requires a subjective evaluation by a panel of judges, it should be out. Citius, Altius, Fortius. No mention of “most graceful” or “most competent at throwing long pieces of ribbon.” ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447/40 "2008-05-01T06:51:54Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] Anyway, i’m another believer that, if an event requires a subjective evaluation by a panel of judges, it should be out. [/QUOTE] I agree. Unfortunately, even in the ‘objective’ sports one has to wonder nowadays whether the medals should be awarded to the equipment designers and/or team chemists rather than the sportsmen themselves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-events/447447.md?page=3)