By now, you’ve probably heard that breaking is one of the newest competitive Olympic events at the 2024 Paris Olympics. That’s sparked a lot of debate about what activities should be classified as an Olympic sport.
Here’s a look at some of the stranger Olympic sports in modern history:
Tug of war: For 20 years, tug of war was a fiercely contested Olympic event. It was last featured in the 1920 Antwerp Games, with the UK team — made up of City of London police — claiming gold.
Live pigeon shooting: Shooting targets at the Olympics have historically been inanimate objects, but organizers of the 1900 Paris Games decided to go in another direction. Competitors lined up to shoot as many live pigeons as they could, with around 300 reportedly killed in the event.
Pistol dueling: Organizers came up with pistol dueling – in which two competitors shot at each other – for the 1908 Games in London. Luckily for all involved, the duels weren’t deadly. Competitors were dressed in protective clothing, and the pistols were loaded with wax rounds.
Obstacle course swimming: This particular competition from the 1900 Paris Games might not look out of place at a modern water park. The event, in which swimmers traveled 200 meters down the River Seine while making their way through a series of obstacles, only made one appearance at the Olympics.
Motorboat racing: The Olympics has long banned sporting events that depend on mechanical propulsion, which is why you don’t see auto racing at the Games.
But in 1908, motorboat racing was an Olympic heat. Boaters raced a course at the Games that year, and the heavy seas “made racing an enterprise of some considerable risk and robbed it of all its enjoyment, except to the most confirmed enthusiasts,” according to a Games report.
Art: From 1912 to 1948, Olympic medals were awarded not just for sport, but also for artistic endeavors such as literature, architecture, music, sculpture and painting.
Solo synchronized swimming: In what might sound like an oxymoron, solo synchronized swimming was a competitive heat at three consecutive Games.
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