# Worst Olympic Sports
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [July 31, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001 "2012-07-31T23:06:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 7
### Author:  [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/121 "2012-08-02T18:15:36Z")
> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> Croquet was an event in 1900. _Croquet_! š
Whatās your point? Tactical planning! Hand-eye coordination! Strength and finesse! The ability to drink while playing! No better sportās ever been invented.
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### Author:  [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/122 "2012-08-02T18:56:29Z")
> [@rhythmdvl](#):
>
> i think most of the sports/games in this thread could be revitalized with the simple addition of **one word: Naked**.
ftfy :d
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/123 "2012-08-02T19:08:34Z")
> [@etv78](#):
>
> I understand that you ended your post with a wink, but PLEASE get this through your skull: The people who call football soccer are the people who saved you from annahilation, many times. ANd allow you to have the wonderful health care and work conditions you so enjoy! Show some appreciation! (Sorry, I just couldnāt let this attitude go unchallegened again)
Actually it was the Russians who beat the Nazis in WWII, albeit with American help, and considering the state of health care and working conditions in the US, I think we can safely say most Europeans got it for themselves ā¦ if they were emulating us, theyād be in our same sorry state.
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/124 "2012-08-02T19:10:06Z")
> [@Sitnam](#):
>
> Iāll be the voice of contention. While I understand the hate for judged events as being subjective they are clearly more of a āsportā than curling, bobsledding, archery or any other activity you can do while smoking.
dude, watch some archery. The archers rest the string right on their mouths when they draw it. Itās a non-smoking sport.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/125 "2012-08-02T19:58:09Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#):
>
> Actually it was the Russians who beat the Nazis in WWII, albeit with American help, and considering the state of health care and working conditions in the US, I think we can safely say most Europeans got it for themselves ā¦ if they were emulating us, theyād be in our same sorry state.
[MODERATING]
I have specifically ordered that this derailment be discontinued at once, and you are disobeying moderator instructions, itself a warnable offense. Itās not a request. No more of this crap.
RickJay
Moderator
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### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/126 "2012-08-02T20:21:26Z")
I like curling. And pentathlon.
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### Author:  [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/127 "2012-08-02T20:34:59Z")
> [@Victor\_Charlie](#):
>
> The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius meaning, of course, Faster, Higher, Stronger. If an event doesnāt include at least one of these elements, it should get booted. That would be all of the summer shooting sports, archery, diving, equestrian and curlingā¦ basically anything that doesnāt require some degree of genuine physical exertion.
>
> Plus, I agree we dump any sport where judges and āartistic meritā decide the winner. **I say we grandfather in gymnastics and figure skating (because theyāre wildly popular, have the highest degree of melodrama and go back to the roots of the modern Olympics), but everything else goes**.
As non-medal exhibitions only.
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### Author:  [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/128 "2012-08-02T20:39:41Z")
[Boxing.](http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/boxing/olympic-boxing-officials-punished-for-controversial-rulings.html)
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/129 "2012-08-02T20:39:41Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> [MODERATING]
>
> I have specifically ordered that this derailment be discontinued at once, and you are disobeying moderator instructions, itself a warnable offense. Itās not a request. No more of this crap.
>
> RickJay
> Moderator
My apologies, I responded to the initial post before I saw your warning.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/130 "2012-08-02T20:59:04Z")
> [@jtgain](#):
>
> From NBCās prime time coverage, I didnāt know there was anything other than gymnastics and swimming.
All sports donāt start on the same day. Track and Field events donāt start until tomorrow.
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### Author:  [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/131 "2012-08-02T21:08:40Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#):
>
> I think the equestrian events donāt belong in the human olympics.
Maybe the horses donāt think your human events belong in the horse Olympics! š
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### Author:  [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/132 "2012-08-03T00:13:50Z")
But if we get rid of Dressage weād miss out on stories like [Hiroshi Hoketsuās](http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/02/london-2012-oldest-hiroshi-hoketsu) - who finished 17th out of the 24 competitors, not bad for a 71 year old.
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/133 "2012-08-03T00:43:33Z")
Dressage might make people say āeww, gay,ā but itās not even that, in the modern sense of glitter and drama. Itās basically dancing with a horse and no music. Have it be an event, sure, but recognize that thereās no way to hang a story on it. Itās too much about itself and not about us.
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### Author:  [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/134 "2012-08-03T01:28:36Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#):
>
> For me its synchronized _anything_ diving or swimming. Iām not sating its easy, Iām just saying its dumb.
Yes.
> [@Mangosteen](#):
>
> The Kayaks going down the fake water rapids is pretty pathetic, too. I feel sorry for the competitors. Iām sure that they are very skilled kayakers in a real river. It just looks like they are competing in a āriverā at a Disneyland ride.
No. Not sure why it needs to be a ārealā river.
> [@minlokwat](#):
>
> Rhythmic gymnasitcs a.k.a. the curling of the summer games.
Sorry, curling is great.
> [@sisu](#):
>
> Bring back the junior rule for Association Football, I liked seeing the under 23ās play off. Let us see the next generation coming though and removes the danger of injury from the top players who actually play for a living.
What makes you think U23s donāt play for a living? I donāt love that Olympic soccer is U23, and the addition of 3 overage players is even stupider. But I suspect the majority of the Olympic participants are professionals.
> [@jtgain](#):
>
> From NBCās prime time coverage, I didnāt know there was anything other than gymnastics and swimming.
Thereās more going on than prime time coverage.
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### Author:  [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/135 "2012-08-03T02:17:15Z")
Iād also vote to get rid of gymnastics, diving, trampoline, and all the other āsportsā that require judges.
Just this afternoon, I thought of a way to turn diving into a real sport: add an element from the high jump or pole vault. Make the water progressively shallower with each round. The diver who dives into the shallowest water and still survives gets the gold medal.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/136 "2012-08-03T02:20:09Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> Swimmers go upside down; at least, some of them do. In the freestyle and backstroke, the swimmers do a flip at the end of the pool and then push off their legs. Your rule would only get rid of the butterfly and breaststroke events, and freestyle and backstroke that are only one length of the pool.
Nah, doesnāt count: insufficient upside-downage. You gotta spend a lot of time upside down for your sport to be interesting.
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### Author:  [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/137 "2012-08-03T03:56:05Z")
I think the horse sports are the worst by a wide margin. That said, boxing is so corrupt and unwatchable itād probably be the first sport Iād axe if I were the sports czar. I havenāt watched a Olympic boxing match since the Roy Jones robbery in 1988, things surprising have actually gotten worse since then.
Iāll note that I _loved_ watching water polo this week. This is a sport that is surprisingly telegenic and seems like it could stand a chance of drawing viewers on the regular basis. I understand itās somewhat popular in Eastern Europe. For the most part team sports can be a bit dull due to the extended qualifying rounds and relative lack of intensity/drama but water polo somehow works. Perhaps the shortness of the matches helps it.
I used to hate gymnastics since it was judged and seemed awfully corrupt/corruptible, but the new scoring system (maybe helped by improved commentary) strikes me as far less random and unpredictable than it used to be a less so than ice skating currently. The menās needs a kick start though, those events are pretty tired.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/138 "2012-08-03T04:13:12Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> Nah, doesnāt count: insufficient upside-downage. You gotta spend a lot of time upside down for your sport to be interesting.
The longest race is 1500 meters freestyle. Thatās 30 lengths of the pool, 29 flip turns. That has to be more than just about any other event.
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/139 "2012-08-03T11:28:00Z")
> [@lisiate](#):
>
> But if we get rid of Dressage weād miss out on stories like [Hiroshi Hoketsuās](http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/02/london-2012-oldest-hiroshi-hoketsu) - who finished 17th out of the 24 competitors, not bad for a 71 year old.
But not as good as the [72-year-old](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Swahn) who won silver in the shooting in 1920.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/140 "2012-08-03T14:21:16Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> The longest race is 1500 meters freestyle. Thatās 30 lengths of the pool, 29 flip turns. That has to be more than just about any other event.
Itās about the ratio. I just watched the qualifying rounds for trampolining; now THEREās some quality upside-downage!
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