- 9 Aug 08, 11:18 AM
I once read that pigeons don't know when their stomachs are full and will therefore continue eating until they're sick.
During his time in office, the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone launched an attack on what he believed was a scourge of pigeons in his city, saying they were nothing more than "rats with wings".
Presumably Livingstone, a man who played a large part in bringing the next Olympics to the capital city wouldn't mind if live pigeon shooting was reintroduced for London 2012.
My Games would like to hear your thoughts on the current list of sports which make up the Games, but we also want to know what you think would add value to the competition?
What sports would you like to see included in the Games? What would you get rid of and what would you like to see make a comeback? What criteria would you use to judge a sport's suitability as an Olympic event?
The IOC continually re-assesses the merits of different sports, excluding and dropping some and including others in its roster. The latest to be introduced is BMX cycling. The IOC's aim is to lure and woo a younger audience with BMXing. Do you think it will work, do you think BMXing deserves to be an Olympic sport?
For the sake of this piece, I have made myself the IOC President for the day. So, first up, I would get rid of all sports where the winners are decided by the value judgements of individual adjudicators, some of whom may even share the same nationality as some of the competitors.
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There have been too many controversies in summer sports such as gymnastics, diving and boxing and in winter sports such as figure skating. The credibility of Olympic boxing has only been saved by the modification of scoring rules that require "hits" to be registered by two judges almost simultaneously, so I'll keep boxing, but it's goodbye to gymnastics, diving and synchronised swimming. Of course it's controversial, but remember, c'est moi le President!
What I personally want is for the winners to be decided on the merits of who is fastest, highest and strongest, not who is prettiest!
Sports I would introduce would be roller hockey, because it's fast, exciting and skilful, and I would also like to include downhill skateboarding, slalom skateboarding and in open water, I would like to see free-diving as an Olympic event. Or how about one armed weight-lifting?
What would you include? Give us some suggestions, they can be as wacky as you like (egg-and-spoon racing anyone?) or as serious as you wish (golf and Twenty20 cricket?)
I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Zai Jian (Goodbye)
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Comments
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I would absolutely love to see rugby sevens in. I'm a huge Rugby fan and I would really love to see the profile of the game raised. I think it would really work as well if the sports administrators could agree to let the big stars play, it would be great to see the likes of Dan Carter or Matthew Tait.
Similarly it would be awesome to see twenty20 cricket. I am an advocate of the more traditional forms, but I think that if other countries (most notably the U.S) could see the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Freddie Flintoff they would catch on pretty quick.
My final addition would be a form of motorsport, preferably rallying or F1. I know it would be difficult as they both have fairly congested annual schedules, but they are both sports which have massive worldwide appeal, and we (Team GB) would have a good chance of winning!
The sport thats that I reckon could be ditched are shooting and archery. I know team GB have been quite good at these recently, but they are definitely not good spectator sports.
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What about binge drinking, or teenage mum? Gold medals guaranteed for the Great Britain?
Sorry if that offended anyone, I was just trying to learn a bit of your British humours.
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And carbon footprint per capita, where the UK magnificently beat China to nowhere.
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I'm with Armchairnut. Rugby 7's would be a great addition. It's certainly more popular at an international level than hockey, for example, and it would allow Rugby to truly realise its' potential as a global sport
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Having thus far read a few postings (not here) but in other sections on the BBC Olympic websites I suggest an event "rubbishing your own country" would help boost the UK medal haul to unprecendented levels of success - the biggest problem though would be which of our world class competitors should we leave out of our team!
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How would free-diving be judged if not by a panel of judges using subjective criteria? No to that one, as well as all the other subjectively judged events.
What would I add? A 100% total news blackout and *no* TV coverage except on a special 'Olympic' channel (it can show repeats when there are no Olympics on, just like all the other channels). It's only Day 2 and I'm fed up with it all already. 2012 can't come slowly enough.
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Here's a great sport that Team GB would definitely compete well in- competitive eating!
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How about Nintendo Wii (Sports) Bowling !!!!
Even Granny might qualify....
And why not ....
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Chess! It may not be recognised as a sport here in Britain but it is recognised as an associate sport by the IOC and British Olympic Association. Top that with the fact we have some very good talent in this country, and its the only sport I know that everyone can play regardless of physical ability. No brainer if you ask me.
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my son is world champion and european champion of brazilian jiu jitsu - he is only 17 - winning his first title in adult category at the age of 15!
why can we not have Brazilian Jiu jitsu as an olympic sport?
how can we go about trying to campaign for this?
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How about Cricket?
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Setting aside the obvious ones, like "Heading the shot" and "Catching the javelin", I suppose one might more seriously consider what physical attributes or senses are currently under assessed in the activities included so far. How about making use of hearing more in extra games? A "blind version" of a coconut shie might be a basis: the throwers cannot should have their eyes covered so they can't see, and the coconuts should emit a sound which would be the only aid permitted to help the aim of the thrower. Various tweaks to this basic setup could improve upon it, but this might be one example.
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Personally I think it's a bit of a joke that Rugby Sevens isn't already an Olympic sport. Rugby is a big worldwide sport, and sevens would be a great way of spreading the game to other countries.
Currently a tournament only takes two days anyway, so it wouldn't even take up a lot of venue-time. Lastly, it only requires a 'regular' stadium or pitch. :)
I can see why Twenty20 might be a good idea too.
Going out on a limb, I would suggest ultimate frisbee, chessboxing, darts, pub-brawling....
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ultimate frisbee. it fits perfectly the olympic motto of "higher, faster, stronger". the only problem might be that it is self officiated. but it wouldnt be too hard to introduce one...
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The OGs must have become the most boring over hyped event on the planet. And don't all of you media types just love the jamboree. There must be more media people than athletes. And that's just the BBC. As you preen and gabble. It has become a juggernaut a Franknesteins monster that is ever growing with meaningless so called sports. Why not darts and snooker. No less meaningless than archery or tennis. And we now have the paralympics. Another piece of PC that will grow and grow. Does anyone really want to watch wheelchair tennis or basketball? Come on lets be honest - do you? All of it a total waste of time and money when people are starving all over the world.
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Serious - Rugby 7s and Twenty20 Cricket. The Rugby can be held in the same stadium as hosts the opening ceremony and the athletics, as it's sat empty for the first week, so no extra building required. Obviously must include the women's versions as well (particularly as their respective performances suggest our women's cricket team are a better shot for a medal than the men's).
Competition climbing - in speed mode. Artificial walls, head-to-head races, first to the top wins (possibly something for some of those gymnasts thrown out by Nawaz to take up instead).
Not so serious - we're apparently a fat nation, so perhaps bring in Sumo wrestling then. Bronze behind Japan (tradition) and the US (sheer size) perhaps?
Random thought - we have weight categories in a number of sports. Why not age categories?
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Sports shouldn't be included if they have an established world championship event. The olympics should be considered the pinacle of the sport, not cheap publicity.
That means no association football, rugby, cricket etc.
There should be no amateur events where there are better professional athletes not taking part, so no boxing.
But there are plenty of sports that we are snotty about because they are not 'global' or are newer.
A lot of events at the X games are stunning to watch and cannot be excluded when compared to canoeing or gymnastics.
For team sports professional baseball and american football. Chess would be great, but it doesn't feel olympian; it's not a sport.
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Rugby sevens and ultimate frisbee are great suggestions but how about this one?
Replace football with 5-a-side?
None of this under 23 nonsense but the top 10 or 12 players from each country playing indoor 5-a-side with rolling subs. Great entertainment!
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I would love to see the 5m sprint.
With modern timing systems there need never be a dead heat and the best thing about it would be its brevity.
Would that all sporting events could be so brief.
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If I could get rid of one sport, it would be Football. For me the Olympics is about promoting minority sports and athletes who sacrifice a carreer on the hopes of winning Olympic gold for their nation.
I would also oust Tennis. As a Tennis player you would prefer to win a grand slam event over the Olympics so it is a bit of a mockery (like Football) being at the Olympics.
Basketball and baseball / softball if its still there as only one countries plays it seriously!!
Can't understand why squash isn't at the olympics?!
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Does anyone remember International King of Sports on Channel 5? It was kind of an alternative Olympics with great events:
- running backwards (more logical than the walks)
- the high dive (preferably for people who can't swim)
- running in a circle until you fall over dizzy
- hurdles but having to go under not over
And then there's my school sport's day specialism: the sack race!
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i would like to see baseball incuded again, the problem is, sports want need to be included, need to be popular in Europe as the majority of IOC votes are in Europe.
Obviously cricket and rugby are popular here, plus france, argentina ital etc, but with baseball, don't hold widespread populairty in Europe. I played both at high school, and baseball, so i know each sport has its merits.
Baseball at 2012 would give those playing an olympic dream come true, and introduce a new sport to the public, but of course the IOC and coe only care about ruining young peoples dreams... Plus it saves coe money, he obviously likes that...
thoughts?
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I'd get rid of Beach Volleyball on the basis that it's rubbish and only really played by beautiful tanned Adonis's in countries with nice beaches.
I'd also get rid of football because neither FIFA nor the IOC really value it as a blue chip Olympic Sport. Instead, I'd have Fusbal because it's faster and more exiting.
It's good that Sailing and Shooting are Olympic sports, but they're not great fun to watch. Combining them into one event would be far more interesting.
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Squash is the most obvious omission from the Olympics. It's fast furious and played all over the world.
It's also something Great Britain might do well at
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No need to be silly. The US already had a pitcher on the '88 Olympic baseball team who was born with one hand. He later played for the California Angels and the New York Yankees.
But, now, the IOC has sought fit to vote baseball and softball out of the Olympics for 2012. I believe that this vote was meant as a slap towards the US over the Iraq war, but the funny thing is that Castro's Cuba has won 3 of the 4 gold medals, and the sport is hugely popular in Japan, Korea, and Central America. Australia has won a medal, as well.
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Definitely would like to see Twenty20 cricket included in the Olympics. Although probably won't happen as they seem to be shying away from bat-and-ball sports now they've dropped softball and baseball from 2012 and beyond.
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I find it ridiculous that 4 types of propulsion thru water qualify as 4 medal winning sets of events.
Michael Phelps wouldn't be in a position to win 8 medals if it weren't for this absurdity.
By the same token I'd like to include running backward, running sideward and one-legged hopping as Olympic events.
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Golf, Twenty20, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Rugby 7s, Snooker, Pool
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Get rid of Dressage. Prancing about on a perfectly manicured pony is not a sport.
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Surely efforts should be devoted to abolishing about half the so-called 'sports' we're obliged to suffer, rather than adding to them? If not, may I suggest Beach Squirm? The team that manages to retain the most sand in their shorts while sun-bathing wins.
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IPod throwing
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"What about binge drinking, or teenage mum? Gold medals guaranteed for the Great Britain?"
bitterblogger
Interesting, but I think too few countries could compete at a credible level. I suggest the following:
Political lying - we must be in with a chance, but America and the EU are strong competitors
Misuse of taxpayers money - again, strong competition from the EU...
Control and surveillance of citizens - with 20% of the world's CCTV we must be in with a chance, but Burma, China and the US with the PATRIOT act are also strong. Russia was a lead player but seems to have fallen off recently...
Political Assassinations - Here we only have the Gibraltar IRA to fall back on. Israel are a strong contender, as are the US, with Russia's polonium squad scoring highly for technique...
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I would get rid of all the events which need expensive equipment (horses, cycles, boats, etc.) or special conditions for training (large stretches of water etc.). Also I would eliminate events of limited appeal (such as Synchronised Swimming, which I describe as "an exhibition of teeth in a pool"), and those which only exist in a few countries.This would enable athletes from poorer countries to compete on more level terms, and the reduced number of events would make it easier for less-wealthy countries to host the Games
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Rugby 7s would be a great addition, but the one growing sport that most of the civilised world is going crazy about right now is Twenty20.
That really would be a crowd pleaser.
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Nose Picking
I can promise the nation that by skill or by stealth I will lead your nation to complete and utter failure...
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Belly flops, see who can make the biggest splash.
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Juggling. I started a campaign many years ago - pre-internet, I hasten to add - which didn't get anywhere. I've been toying with the idea of doing so again. Professional juggling comes in a huge array of disciplines and specialisms; it is already competed internationally, with key advocates being European, Russian, Chinese, and American; and it employs skill, dexterity and strength akin to gymnastics. Not convinced? Search for International Juggling Association, Antony Gatto, numbers juggling, club juggling, passing juggling, and then look on that well known video site for the same keywords.
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lavatorial, i think your comment about the paralympics is garbage.
It may not have huge coverage and i'm not a huge fan of political correctness, however i think i should educte you in this aspect of the olympics. It may not be a huge money-maker, by you wouldn't believe how it effects many disabled people.
Imagine a life where you feel relatively useless you can't use your legs and you see everyone else running around. The paralympics gives a goal for these people. Not only does it motivate them it motivates other disabled people around. This in turn makes them work harder, in ALL ASPECTS of life. It makes the parents lives easier and it gives money to disabled sports clubs.
However i agree with many of the posts, rugby 7's should, most definately be an olympic sport. With the some of the talent on display it is a very very marketable sport.
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My new introduction would be a new take on angling, which GB is bound to be top at.
Although instead of fish it would be criminals, purely catch and release.
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I have a couple of suggestions:
1) In boxing/judo/weightlifting rather than just having the strongest/best person winning they have weight categories to make it possible for smaller/weaker competitors to stand a chance of winning a medal.
Why not use the same principal in other sports - basketball for those under 5'5" and even the opposite in sports where being small, light and agile is an advantage so how about a marathon for those over 20 stone?
2) I also can't understand why they have so many medals in swimming - shouldn't it just be the fastest over the distance, rather than the fastest in a particular style? If we have breast stroke/back stroke/butterfly in the pool - then on the track we should also have hopping, skipping and crab racing (like crab football rather than the version with crabs and a bucket - although, equally that could be another suggestion).
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I think Netball should be added - especially in 2012 as it's so popular in the UK.
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Seeing as shooting's an Olympic sport I see no harm in making darts one as well.
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why is everyone so pessimisstic and disparaging about england??
"purely catch and release"
"binge drinking"
"teenage mum"..........etc
whilst these may have been said in jest, it is opinions like these that make britain what it is today. the lack of pride for our country and for ourselves is appalling and needs to be rectified so that society can 'improve'.
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as to what sport should be included in the olympics - I.T.F taekwondo.
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Chess, Scrabble, Monopoly, Cluedo, er .... Poker, Snap, er...
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Oh I'm all for Ultimate Frisbee!!! Anyone who has played will know just how competitive yet sportsman(woman) like it is!
Although it'd be interesting to see if they do have calls :P
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I would like to see a new Olympic sport of gurning
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Ultimate Frisbee!
An extrememly athletic and skillful team game (go see www.ukultimate.com or www.wfdf.org) which is ruled by the same principles of the Olympics - fairness. The "Spirit of the Game" is defined in the rules and there are no referees. Where an infringement occurs the rules try to reflect what would have happened had there been no infraction.
World Champs in Vancouver this September can't wait!
Luke
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Tiddly winks... Subutteo, the wood chucking game played in pubs called Aunt Sally... Although anyone brave enough to go near here deserves a medal...
No A1 Grand Prix or F1..Scalextic is the way forward with drivers from F1 representing their countries rather than Monaco! And of course we're all forgetting the hours Dart players put in... Imagine the Power Taylor giving advice to Usain Bolt on positivity over a fry up in the Olympic village..
Roger Federer isn't happy with the Olympic village as he's too Popular and can't get a moments peace and quiet... Imagine his reaction to thousands of people swigging beer in Viking hats and blowing horns supporting the dart players! Would be priceless...
Seriously the one sport I would like to see at the games is the central Asian game of
Sepak Tekraw... Its a fantastic spectacle seeing a team do thousands of Keep me uppys and kicking a ball into a roof suspended high up... Proper skills needed... English Footballers need not apply.
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The sport I would like to see added, although I realise this would be a long term campaign, is Cheerleading.
A competitive athletic discipline with almost 6 million participants across least 50 nations world-wide, and one of the fastest growing sports in Britain.
The internationak body (I.C.U.) is already structured towards IOC requirements, and scoring is on a technical points basis that is now becoming standardised internationally.
Competitions in Britain attract up to 3,000 participants, 246 competing routines, and now require 3 simultaneous hall operation due to numbers taking part.
Large venues are usually sold out, so it is also fast becoming a major specator sport.
Fast dynamic and mega-spirited, it would make great TV and be a credit to the Games.
Bob Kiralfy
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A superman event where the competitors get so jacked up on EPO and other steroids that they become super human and fly off to another planet!
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I believe in sports anyone can have a go at, so how about indoor bowls or boules? You don't have to be young or rich. It gives everyone who isn't naturally athletic some form of Olympic hope.
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The "Drug assisted 100m", they can take as many drugs as they want. It would be interesting to see how fast they go.
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I really like the swimming but what is that annoying whistling that seems to accompany every race?
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Although a fan of Olympic beach volleyball, it would be great if Air Sport was reintroduced into the Olympics. GB leads the world in Gliding - a dynamic and highly competitive as well as physically and mentally challenging sport enjoyed by young and old.
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First off - I totally agree that all the 'judged' sports should go, especially ice-dancing, underwater grinning and ballroom dancing.
In their place? Well, obviously cricket, the major sport of the sub-continent, perhaps as 20-20.
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"Interesting, but I think too few countries could compete at a credible level. I suggest the following:
Political lying - we must be in with a chance, but America and the EU are strong competitors
Misuse of taxpayers money - again, strong competition from the EU...
Control and surveillance of citizens - with 20% of the world's CCTV we must be in with a chance, but Burma, China and the US with the PATRIOT act are also strong. Russia was a lead player but seems to have fallen off recently...
Political Assassinations - Here we only have the Gibraltar IRA to fall back on. Israel are a strong contender, as are the US, with Russia's polonium squad scoring highly for technique... "
OK, so we've seen how very clever you can be, but why not keep it to the subject matter? Turning a discussion on the olympics into a little soapbox for your own political beliefs is completely erronious, go spout off where it's relevant.
And with that said, I'm definitely with the folks who have said rugby 7's. It's a perfect sport. Also, already suggested, but swapping football for Fusbal would be excellent too.
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I'd introduce a reworking of an existing "sport" called Flog. Players would start at hut called the 19th and have to consume large amounts of alcohol, then try and scoop a small white ball out of a little hole before mindlessly bashing it round several fields. The winner would be detremined by the highest score or the first participant to die of boredom.
Alternatively how about games that only we play or invented and therefore might have a good chance at winning a medal in 2012. For example; Conkers, Highland caber tossing whilst wearing woolen skirts, Fox hunting, Darts, Snooker, Shove Hapenny and Rounders (that's baseball for girls).
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I wonder why equestrian events are included. All other events are a measure of the ability of the human being allowing for the use of inanimate objects, from pistols, bows, boats, cycles.
In the equestrian events, much depends on the ability and fitness of the horse which is NOT what the Olympics should be about.
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How about orienteering? A great sport, using brains plus brawn. And we are quite good at it.
It's a great sport to take up for those who don't know about it: it doesn't require expensive gear or stadiums, and the competitors get to run through beautiful and often remote sites all over our wonderful country.
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"If we have breast stroke/back stroke/butterfly in the pool - then on the track we should also have hopping, skipping and crab racing"
Excellent idea - I would pay good money to see the backwards 110 metre hurdles...
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"The drug assisted 100m race" - that sounds like REAL fun, but in which direction would they go?! Into the woods to find magic mushrooms? And how would the winner of the 'race' be decided - last one to stop hallucinating???
(Seriously tho', I wish all the athletes well.)
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Darts and snooker.
When you look at the sports that already figure: wrestling, show jumping etc etc..
It makes sense, innit?
It seems that any Mickey Mouse sport can get in if it's for the toffs: regatta, rowing, horses (dressage FFS!) but anything that's popular with ordinary people can't get in.
I blame Samaranch and his toff "presents receivers".
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Twenty20, cricket is the second most popular sport in the world and ergo, would prove hugely popular. Rugby sevens for same reason. Inline speed skating would be quite fun, if only to imitate the similar sport they have at the Winter Olympics.
Ditch any sports that award medals on the basis of human judgment rather than the indisputable; sorry Tom Daley. I don't mind volleyball etc. for the diversity they bring or tennis and football, again, for the variety, but also for the added number of fans. There's a spillover affect, where the large number of fans from these take interest in the others. I think the balance is quite good at the moment.
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Not sure if the person who think's freediving is a subjective sport understands what freediving is.
Freediving is arguably the single biggest omission from the Olympics. The Olympics defines human physical achievement. It tells us how fast we can run and swim, how far and high we can jump etc. Too many contrived sports have, however, diluted this spirit.
By finding out how deep humans can dive under their own power freediving provides another important measurement of human physical ability. It's a truly global sport and the technology exists now to beam back what would be iconic Olympic imagery. Just check out some of the footage of constant weight world records on the net. There are logistics problems but none more so than with sailing, for example. Furthermore, there's an Olympian competitive ethic among freedivers as they look to go deeper.
Freediving is pure human ability.
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Ten Pin Bowling... surely this is as much of a Sport as Table Tennis?!?!
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I think the following activities should be removed from the Olympics:
Swimming upside down with one toe sticking up in the air
Prancing around the floor throwing hoops, balls or coloured rags into the air
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bein a 20 year old bowls player i would love 2 see bowls
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I'm sure we could combine some new events with existing events to solve a lot of social problems.
How about adding Binge Drinking (the UK is sure to win some medals) and follow it up with the javelin.
It could also be interesting to combine high diving with synchronised swimming, in the same pool at the same time. The swimmers could form a target, and the diver gets points depending where they land.
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standing long jump, I believe it was an event in early Olympics
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re: baseball being out - if the Americans couldn't even be bothered to put up a strong enough team to qualify for the Athens games, why should they start whinging when the IOC decides to get rid of it?
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Item 67: Bowls is already in.
To the person who wanted one-legged hopping; is there any other kind ;o)?
I would like to see Rugby in. That would mean that the USA lost their Olympic title. Yes, they won Gold at Rugby I think in 1928, the last time it was in the Competition. In case you're wondering it was before my time!
But for me I would like to see REMOVED any sport which involves the opinion of judges. Yes, I know many people would complain because out would go Dressage, Gymnastics, Synchronised Swimming, Diving.
The motto of the Olympic movement is, I believe, Faster, Higher, Stronger. If it can't be measured it should not be there, and it would also keep out such pastimes as Ballroom Dancing which are pressing for inclusion. Need I say more.
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Unicycling is rapidly growing in popularity. It deserves a place because it's probably more accessible to everyone in any country than any other olympic sport - a unicycle can cost less than a pair of running shoes!
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Bring back the Tug of War. Few things pit nations against each other so directly.
I'm also liking the combination events ideas. How about
Wrestling/Synchronised Swimming
Shot Putt/Basketball
Javelin/Dressage
Or something like James Caan's Rollerball movie
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Olympic gold should be considered as being the pinnacle of achievement in the sport. Many sports have their own independent 'world events' that are considered more credible than the Olympic event. To me this seems to somewhat defeat the point of the Olympics. So for me, scratch: football, tennis, road cycling…easy choices but I’m sure there are borderline examples.
To all those comments that complain about the BBC coverage, if you don’t enjoy it, don’t watch it! Like everyone, only a handful of sports really appeal to me, but if you’re that intent on watching TV, I doubt you’ll find a team of more professional and knowledgeable commentators who could teach you more about ‘boring’ sports, athletes for which have still dedicated four or more years of their life to try and be the best.
Respect to all of them!
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with all these calls for snooker, darts etc why dont we just hold the 2012 olympics in various pubs- would save a lot of money!
but in all seriousness i think that some of the sports need to be changed just to save on building works- lets say remove the velodrome cycling events and hold a tour de france style race instead on the roads!
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The Eurovision, Big Brother, Joseph's Raincoat, Celebrity Cooking etc. should be included as the meet the most important criteria of attracting sponsors.
It may be necessary however to give participants a waiver on drug-testing.
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Has to be ultimate Frisbee! The most fitness intensive, well spirited, active sport in the world. Plus the calls at the end of each game would be able to solve many if not all the problems in the world! :)
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I dont know about anyone else, but I would like to see an alternative Olympics where performance enhancing drugs were actively encouraged. What could make a better spectator sport than some muscle laden monster completing the 100m dash in 4s.
Surely the olympics is all about pushing human endeavours...
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I would like to see politician hurling introduced as soon as possible.
A bit like the shot put but throwing them into a shark pit or the like.
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Synchronised farting.
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p.s. Obviously the Olympic Motto would have to be adapted slightly to:
Faster, Wetter, Stronger
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Why not bring it back to the classic style of the Ancient Olympics where competitors have to compete in a Ben Hur style chariot race where the winner gets the prize of the most beautiful woman on the planet - Helen of Troy back then, hmm maybe Evangeline Lilly now.
Also the loser is killed - a minor detail
Might make the games a bit more interesting!
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Power-borrowing would be a discipline in which Britons of all age could excel. The winner is who spends most unearned money during the duration of the Olympics). Of course there would be fierce competition from the other side of the big pond, but I am confident that Team GB could bring home a few gold medals (which could immediately be used as a security for borrowing more at home).
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2020 cricket would be ace, but in 2012, please.
Initially I thought darts was a stupid suggestion but the more I think about it, the more I like it. It requires little equipment and, joking aside, is a pure skill event. Also, if you can lift your arm you can play, so almost anyone could participate.
Rugby 7s is fast and exciting and would be popular in 2012.
I'd be sad if gymnastics was dropped. It pretty much defines the olympics for me.
Synchronised diving should stay in for its mind-boggling bonkersness.
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Just thought of another one.
Synchronised underwater farting.
The competitor who holds a pasted-on grin longer than the rest, gets gold.
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How about Olympic Guitar Hero III?
Or simply Olympic air guitar (for folks who don't have a WII, Playstation or X-box).
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I strongly support the idea of removing from the Olympics all events wherein judges' opinions decide the winners, most notably gymnastics and synchronised swimming but also ski jumping, in which last surely only the distance covered should count without the influence of "style" marking. I would also like the removal of all events which do not require the use of human strength, skill and stamina without the assistance of, for example, horses.
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#82 Love the idea of games where the loser gets killed. The potential is awesome. Proper sword fighting (without armour). Duels at 20 paces. Archery with teams competing against each other from opposite sides of the arena.
On a less fatal note, we could re-introduce Its a Knockout with watercannons, silly costumes, greasy poles and Stuart Hall.
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Lawn bowls- starnge as it sounds it is a reall popular international sport by and large and really deserves olympic status. Also Rugby sevens and Twenty20 Cricket.
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CounterStrike Source?
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Lets have Rugby 7s. Its a great team sport, fast, exciting. Its played on all continents and requires minimal resources to put on - in 2012 we just need one weekend at Twickenham - or any other major stadium. It also means that nations other than the obvious top 5, get a chance to win medals.
The diversity of nations that are top competitors is probably greater than any other sport... try this
GB (England, Scotland, Wales), France, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Affica, Argentina, Fiji, Samoa, and then we have Georgia, Spain, Italy, Roumania, Uruguay, Potugal, Canada, Nambia, Japan, Russia ......
Its almost a crime that one of the top team sports is not represented at the Olympics
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How about political gladiators - every country gets to put politicians up and we get the biggest, strongest gladitors to bash hell out of them..... might even knock some sense into a few of them.
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Downhill Mountain Biking. Its a sport briatain is actually good at. We have the current men and womens world champions in Gee Atherton and Rachel Atherton. There is usually a brit in the top 3 of any race, with Steve Peat a long reigning legend and Tracey Mosely ex world champ. And its goverened by the UCI who cover cross country, bmx and all the road cycling stuff.
Plus its awesome to spectate :)
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Three-Day Whingeing, Whining and Moaning should appeal to all Brits. (A Modern Pentathlon would add Calumny and Detraction to the list.)
Yobbery and Vandalism would bring in the youth vote, so important a consideration these days.
The Deceit Marathon to climax the Games: the winner being he or she who goes the longest without uttering one word of honest truth.
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IN: The Wall Game; Croquet: Synchronised Show Jumping; Punting
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I know it's for the winter games, but... i think that women's nordic ski jumping should be added. I mean they have the men's event, but not the women's. And I think that ski halfpipe would be a great addition.
As for the summer games... cricket would be nice.
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noo lawn bowls is not in the olympics its at the commonwelth (cant spell) games
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I think the Commonwealth games has proved that Rugby 7's works very well at a multi sport event. The olympic family should embrace 7's and move it forward - almost every country in the world attempts one way or another to play rugby in some form and at the olympics it would be hope that all countries would get the opportunity to participate in the competition rather than the prominent few who take part in the Rugby World Cup.
Cricket in it one day for didn't work so well in Kuala Lumpa (1998 CWG) and neither did the 10 pin bowling.
I think the IOC should follow the CWG federation by adding new and inovative games for the games to show case and let the public choose what is to be included or not.
Can't wait for 2012 and the British Handball team!
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"Downhill Mountain Biking." - NO!
Can we have Uphill Mountain Biking instead, please? Much more fun, and real family entertainment.
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Being serious,
Twenty20 Cricket
Ideal world I'd also like to see:
Snooker
Darts
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There have been a few jokes about WII/PS3 games.... give it time. Remember that many of the current Olympic sports didn't really exist 100 years ago.
Give it 20-30yrs (absolute max) and I'm sure there will be electronic 'sports' of some sort... and think of how keen the sponsors would be?
If you can have people standing there with air rifles, why not something more interactive and challenging? This may rile a few old-timers but as I say, it's inevitable.
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Sports that shouldn't be in the Olympics:
Baseball,
Softball
Tennis
Men's Football
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Wellie Whanging has to be in.
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Ultimate Frisbee - It's the most cardiovascular sport in the world and the skill involved is immense. The pace is fast and the tactics are so varied. The problem according to sports authorities is that it's self-officiated, ie players call fouls and resolve them between the players involved in the incident. As a result, the sportsmanship in ultimate frisbee is unlike anything I've encountered elsewhere (probably fairest than any other sport) and the sport deserves recognition for that.
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My friend and I used to have an in-joke where we'd dream up new sports by merging existing ones. Well, you know, days were long, not much to do etc. As I recall, the best were...
trampoline snooker (table suspended from ceiling roughly at the average height achieved on each jump; player plays shot as he reaches height of table)
coxless 4s high-dive (boat pushed off highest divind boar; team whose boat lands in pool, right way up, with all men still sitting, and with minimum wobbles, wins)
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This is a bit 'me too' but this thread is a popularity contest so...
Add:
Rugby 7s - popular, exciting sport and who could resist another opportunity to see the Pacific Island Nations performing the Haka, Cibi etc. Several small countries such as Fiji would be in with a chance of a medal too.
20/20 cricket - ditto but without the Haka
Subtract:
Sports with subjective judging.
Any sport that doesn't get serious about catching and removing drug cheats.
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I would like to see underwater swimming, 50 meters underwater the fastest!
Or long jump but into water, measured with light? No more raking the sand!!!!
How does that sound to you?
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Twenty20 Cricket, and fast.
I can't believe cricket is being left out of Olympics, it's the most popular sport in the world after soccer.
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Snooker
Twenty20 Cricket
Squash
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underwater darts
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I would drop BMX. It's not a proper sport, just an excuse for teenagers to show off. And I would reinstate the kilometre on the track (cycling) and add cyclocross, and a five stage road race which would show off the country, finish with a criterium in the host city and feature a flat stage, a mountain stage, a medium mountain stage and a time trial. Each stage would be an imdividual medal event, as would the overall.
I would also add cricket and Rugby in whatever form. Idealy Test cricket aand 15-a-side, as these are the proper forms of the game, and not some expedient compromise for tv.
And I would get rid of events such as synchronised diving which are not real sports, relying as they do on judges to decide the results. Might as well make X Factor an Olympic event!
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I would definitely like to see Lacrosse included as an olympic sport . It is fast and furious and it's popularity is growing around the world!
I am also all for including squash and rugby 7s-
Gymnastics is THE olympic sport - it requires strength, endurance, agility, suppleness, grace and skill. There is no way it should be dropped... And certainly not ahead of tennis, men's footy and baseball/softball
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Ice Blocking. You find a great grassy hill with a good slope. Your equipment is a block of ice you can get at any grocery story and a hand towel. Any protective gear is optional for now. You cover the block of ice with your hand towel. You sit on the ice and then a team mate gives you a good push. The goal is to get down the hill the fastest and without falling off. Putting your feet or hands down is a penalty.
I learned this sport in Utah while hanging out with the mormons. It is an absolute blast!!!
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I can't believe nobody has mentioned KARATE it is the biggest indoor sport in the world.The athletes are extremely fit and talented and it is also a great spectator sport.Britain also have some legends like world and european champion Wayne Otto.
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KARATE should be added to the games ,it is the biggest indoor sport in the world.
the athletes are extremely fit and talented,and it is a great spectator sport both fast and exciting
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Acrobatic Gymnastics HAS to be added to the list of Olympic Sports - It is a fantastic mix of gymnastics, dance and acrobatic skill.
Great Britian are one of the leading nations in Acro, and adding this gymnastics disapline- along with Tumbling would DOUBLE our Olympic medal hopes.
I am suprised the Chinese didnt include them in these games, as they are amazing at Acrobatic Gymnastics, but let's make sure they are in the 2012 games, please!
WATCH ACRO at the World Championships, being held in Glasgow in October - www.acro2008.com to see what I mean. Everyone will love it!
Anyone agree?
S x
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What about the '"take as many drugs as you like, and as many prosthetic enhancements that can fit on the human frame" Olympics. The motto being - "There are no rules in love and war".
Regardless of the sport being played the spectacle and the intriguing amount of very specific add-ons and chemical enhancements would be enormously exciting. A much better way of funding technological advancement than pumping money into secretive military stuff for killing people. Rather give it to obsessive sporting types who just want to go fastest, hardest, best.
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Rugby 7s, Twenty-Twenty cricket - both are excellent sports and serve to raise the awareness of these fine sports.
Drop football altogether.
Mental athletics in the form of chess.
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Pole dancing
:-)
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Giving away my age, perhaps, but how about that early stalwart of Channel 4's sports coverage - kabbadi?
No special equipment needed, a sport which could easily be played in playgrounds, and exceptionally simple rules.
For the uninitiated, try
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2420731
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As well as excluding sports which are subjectively-adjudicated - i.e. the winners cannot be measured in terms of distance, time or goals (etc.) scored - prize-money sports should be excluded.
In some (mostly team) sports, professional sportsmen/women are rewarded for PARTICIPATING - even if win-bonuses are paid, the grotesque amounts paid to US basketball players are for taking part - but other sports (usually for individuals) reward RESULTS.
Hence, tennis (snooker, gold, etc.) should not be considered suitable candidates for inclusion.
My preferred distinction, however, is that Olympic sports should be limited to those which involve competing against the scoring mechanism (clock, tapemeasure, etc.) rather than a specific opponent.
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Britain are desperate to win gold medals so let's include 'the most journalists having a jolly and staying in high priced hotels'.
The BBC have so many there contributing useless blogs that Britain would win hands down.
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Jousting!
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I think one sport which is overdue is carrot-peeling. This could be developed to include pair (or even pear) events and even a synchronised carrot peeling competition. I think my wife would be in with a gold medal shout and my daughters could also compete in a junior event.
The big advantage is that everyone has gold, or at least very orange, fingers at the end.
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Mind-bending puns, marbles and plenty20twenty cricket - oh, and uphill volleyball
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How about kite-surfing?
And here's an idea - lets go back to AMATEUR competitors.
OK, how do we do this?
Simple, all competitors must have a proper job which takes up 20+ hours per week. This can be checked randomly, and lets take the blood samples for doping tests on these visits.
Stuart
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Karate-do as an olypmic sport. Both ippon- and sanbon kumite. No Kata competition because of interpretation difficulties,
And on a lighter note, Stuart Hall (from "It's a Knockout", not the Sociologist) for his imaginative prose.
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I think they should introduce Netball and Rock climbing. Both sports have a big following both in UK and around the world. Both are great spectator sports and both subscribe to the 'stronger higher faster' rule
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I would love to see women's amateur boxing. It would be nice if the men of the world would kindly "allow" us to compete.
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Definately Sports Acrobatics gymnastics. Artisitc, rhythmic and trampolining are already in it so why not this discipline? Britain would even have a decent chance for medals as well going by past form at Europeans and Worlds and it will bring somethin different to the table.
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absolutely nothing.there's to many so called sports already in the olympics that should'nt be there.a lot are there just for extra exposure.now we've got beach volleyball for crying out loud;a gold medal for the best ass.well ,I suppose it beats darts as a sport
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Roller Hockey or Inline Hockey would have been added to the Olympics years ago had there been an agreement between a governing federation for the sport. The IIHF, the Governing Federation of Ice Hockey and FIFA the Governing Federation of Roller Sports have been battling over this for over a decade now, which pretty much killed the growth of competitive International Inline Hockey. There was a battle between a standard for the sports, even between such things as using a ball or a puck. Complicating things is the familial relationship between members of the Olympic directorship and members of FIFA which have shut out the IIHF, who staged the first Inline World Championships in 1996 in Minnesota, USA, where inline skates (RollerBlades) were invented. There to this day, remain two separate world tournaments the FIFA tournament and IIHF tournament held each year, and that doesn't include other ones such as NARCH. While the sport is played in countries across the globe on almost every continent, the internal battles are the only reason it hasn't made it to the Olympics, where it certainly would be an exciting and entertaining sport. You would think if all the "X-Games" sports they are allowing are there InLine hockey would make it in one day. Then again, Softball and Baseball certainly need to return as well.
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The most boring sports to watch are those with very little danger/speed (i.e. sailing. Honestly, really boring and [when there's no wind] a bit of a lottery).
So I suggest some "fun" sports: paintball, jai alai, street luge, and some form of gauntlet running (through a course occupied with tigers, swinging blades, fire jets, etc.).
Oh, and for the Monty Python fans, hide and seek...
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#121, I'd vore for kabbadi too. Also rugby 7s, cricket 2020 and freediving (although I'm sure the prospect of death would keep that one out).
We have running and walking... how about crawling? No set distance, just start after the opening and see who gets furthest during the Games.
On the lighter side I'm sure there would be a big audience for synchronized sex.
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100m Space Hopper, Pogo Stick Hurdles and Parachute Chicken - the winner being the one who pulls the rip cord last and lives.
Or make more use of live animals than just horses. The cat/hammer throw? Out swimming the shark? Wrestling the tiger?
The Olympics is too safe. Proper dedication means putting your life on the line.
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Anything that was on "It's A Knockout" is fair game. Also KerPlunk.
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Rugby and 20 20 cricket are the two stand outs for me and would be a great spectator sports and promote the games further.
Basketball, baseball, handball and any other american branded sport must be got rid of immediately!! We should have darts and snooker if they have those and guarantee some medals for GB.
5 a side football is another great idea the best players from the countries!
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Twenty20 cricket
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Love the shout fot kabbadi!
Free diving is also interesting, it's certainly incredible what they do, but does it really lend itself to competitive sport with the real risk of athletes drowning and being killed to death? Not the easiest for spectators either.
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Agree with #140, free diving is an amazing sport, but I think it's quite dangerous enough without the added pressure of the Olympics - can't help feeling that competitors would take excessive risks. And if medals are involved many countries would immediately start "talent" searches and pack 4yr olds off to intensive underwater training classes. Not what a dangerous sport like free-diving needs, I think.
Total respect for those who do it though!
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Absolutely include Skateboard Slalom! It's perfect for the Olympics. A straightforward knockout contest, you can run head-to-head heats, races are timed just like a ski slalom, penalty points are accrued for each cone moved. It's fast and really exciting, and judged purely on times, not on subjective criteria (artistic impression, perceived difficulty of tricks, etc.), as BMX or ice-skating or snowboard halfpipe are. It's also amazingly inclusive, as a lot of the top racers (at the moment) are not exactly youngsters, but older guys who started when skateboarding became popular back in the 70s. Some great new young male and female racers coming up through the ranks now, though!
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Well, I'd have to suggest:
Rugby Union, either sevens or 15's.
How about Sporting Clays as an additional shooting event. It's much more challenging than skeet or trap and more exciting to watch with a lot more misses. Not too expensive to set up a course or use an existing one.
Sam
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i would like to add in squash. this is because it has a large audience and also a very competitative game. i would also like to add in any other compettative sport.
i would like to ditch archery,horse dancing or dressing, judo.
i am not in favour of baseball, golf,softball, maybe tennis and basketball and other money sports. this is because evdry player is earning millions of dollar every year.
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Horse Mounted Archery!!!
It's fun, skillful, sporting, thrilling, traditional, so it really should be included!!!
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LACROSSE!
Easy choice....played by both sexes on all habited continents, fast-paced, skillfull, tactical and requiring great athleticism. Its one of the world's fastest growing sports and is the fastest sport on grass (and there is indoor too). It's not one of those sports that requires a certain shape or body type...i've seen all shapes and sizes play....someone might be small but with great skill can easily dodge a large defender etc. Its a great spectator sport with all the rough and tumble of Ice Hockey (almost the same rules) for mens and non-contact for women's...and there are more female players then men. Oh..and you can play mixed too.
It has been a demonstration sport in past Olympic history and is awaiting more countries to take up the game before it reaches the required entry qualification i believe. However if we are looking towards London 2012 then this would be the perfect sport to be either in the London Olympics or as a demonstration sport again to help drum up support. England is one of the top five countries, Scotland and Wales in the top fifteen in the world rankings (didn't know we had teams...?! 41,000 registered players so far)..now combine those together into a GB team and we have a real shot at a medal...imagine winning a medal at home on the first time it becomes an Olympic sport.....i can see the BBC Sport headlines already!
Check out these websites for more info:
http://www.englishlacrosse.co.uk/
www.scottish-lacrosse.org.uk/
www.laxwales.com
http://www.icfld.com/
http://www.intlaxfed.org/
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Somebody said Chess was the only game everyone could play. How about Texas Holdem poker? Far more interesting than chess to watch, everyone can play, uses strategy and skill, and could be played for something worthwhile. Perhaps the winner could be allowed to donate 100% of the advertising revenue earned from all the large, immoral Olympic advertisers and sponsors to a charity of their choice. Not such a waste of money, perhaps.
Strip poker, too, would surely gain rather a large following. Para-olympic strip poker would be off the chart.
A Sport to take out should be synchronised swimming. Ridiculous. Synchronised drowning however would seem reasonable. Which reminds me of something the late George Carlin said. Televised suicide. As an event would certainly be watched by the masses, would allow people to go out in style, and may even go some way to alleviate the world's population crisis if it was a mass, team event. Families of the medalists would at least have some consolation for their loss, in the form of something round and shiny.
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I think coastal rowing should be included. Its quite different to the rowing currently in the olympics. And it could be held on the sailing course.
It's most popular here in Ireland, Britain and Australia.
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Oh, and how about Olympic collateral damage? Could be done in the style of the decathlon, with points awarded for how many innocent civilians, bonus points for children, were killed in, say, hospitals, schools, a mosque or other holy place, at home asleep, on a bus crossing a bridge, at a bus stop, playing in a field and picking up a cluster bomb, stepping on a land mine or dying slowly from depleted uranium rounds fired into their towns. In our endeavour for Olympic medals the UK would surely come out of this one smelling of roses.
Our only real competition would be the US.
China wouldn't stand a chance.
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Many calls for 20-20 cricket here, but no chance, I'm afraid. It's all down to what the US TV networks want.
Can you imagine US commentators trying to explain cricket?
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Firstly, as has been said above, I would definitely get rid of horsey events and their ilk - apart from being a throwback to the [long-gone] days of cavalry, their cost precludes the vast majority of the world's population from competing and all the hard work and skill comes from the horse anyway - hardly olympic stuff.
Next, in team sports I would limit team membership to players who actually play for clubs in their home countries - removing all the big-buck earners who fled to Europe and the US.
Then, limit the number of swimming events that one person can enter. For those child prodigies who can do it all, there could be created a heptathlon or decathlon type event.
Finally, as the events are already divided into classes (e.g swimming, athletics etc.) then any country who has a competitor disqualified for doping or cheating would have all other athletes from the same class disqualified as well. This would be one attempt to get rid of the jollies in the federations who do nothing and instead put in their place serious responsible people who have the best for clean olympian sports in mind.
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It would be nice to include such exciting sports as rugby seven and 20/20, but surely too few nations really play them. There are however several worldwide sports conspicuously missing: squash is the most obvious, but what about orienteering and cross country?
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Contrary to what some people have said competition freediving is not as dangerous as sports such as as rugby, horse riding, sailing, highboard diving and gymnastics.
People are probably thinking of where people dive without supervision and safety cover (this IS dangerous) or the record attempts for what is known as 'no-limits' where divers descend on a weighted sled beyond their ability to swim back to the surface on their own, relying instead on an air bag.
Competitive freediving however involves 'constant weight' where the diver swims down and back under their own power. The risk of blackout comes not at the bottom but in the last 20-10 metres as the diver returns to the surface. If a diver does blackout they are revived without fuss by safety divers. The public not used to this may need educating but it's not as serious as being knocked out in boxing or concussed in rugby. No room to explain physiology here but rest assured there are numerous world class competitions held with high standards of safety and the freedivers are not risking their lives. Of course, the sport is not without hazard, but no more so than many other Olympic sports.
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In fairness to gymnastics, the new scoring system has really helped both get rid of the dodgy judging (where earlier competitors would be given low marks to "leave room" for later ones) and has encouraged the competitors to press for more difficult routines, increasing the chances of mistakes and increasing the pressure and excitement.
Really controversially, I'd limit the swimming to freestyle only. Keep the number of medals the same by adding more distances and relays, so if a future Phelps wants to win 8 golds, he or she will need to be able to swim 50, 100, 200, 400, 1500, 3000, 10000 metre events.
And if karate could sort out its world governance problems, it's a really exciting sport with a simple scoring mechanic (knock your opponent down to win), and massive worldwide participation.
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I'm completely with you on removing the "judged" sports. I'd also lose football, tennis and boxing.
Rugby 7s is a candidate, and so is motorsport. Forget F1, try the Race of Champions format - short races on a circuit within a standard stadium.
On a less serious note, what about reverting to ancient practices and having athletes compete naked? That's one way to ensure that women's sport gets at least equal airtime!
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My favourite thing about the olympics is seeing a wide variety of sports which are currently not seen very much. I would be disappointed if more sports were added which already have a high coverage and high profile tournaments, so I would rather football etc were removed.
I would not remove the sports which have subjective judging as some of those are my favourites to watch, but the judging could be improved like it has been for gymnastics. For instance on the synchro diving if the judges could use the slowmo footage we see after each dive they might make a more accurate call.
I agree with the comment about different types of swimming so we should add running backwards and hopping to track and field, as well as three legged race etc and maybe silly walks!
I disagree with the comment about sports needing equipment like horses or boats not being in, after all those swimsuits are expensive too, and I'm sure many athletes use expensive running shoes, unless they should all go barefoot? That would hark back to the original ancient Greek event where they were all naked.
As for the comment about removing equestrian because the horses do all the work, that is a team just as much as any doubles event, yes the horse is a vital part but so is the rider, it is the partnership which produces the best results. The end result of that argument is no relays, no more than one person in a boat, no football or any other team event! And the person who disparaged dressage should try doing it themselves before saying it is not a sport!
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I think there are two sports that should be included - Netball and rugby 7's.
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T20 cricket please. And...
Kabaddi
Chess
Snooker
Squash
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Take out football and tennis - certainly football, there's FAR too much of it on TV as there is. And don't, like some people have suggested, add rugby or cricket - again too much of them.
I love the gymnastics (though I'm a bit baffled by the scoring) purely because it's not something you see much. Be nice to see a bit more kayaking - perhaps display stuff like jumps and cartwheels and such (unless they already do that - if they do, I haven't seen it).
Sports to add? Perhaps an underwater course with tunnels, hoops and such - bit like a SCUBA version of a cross between showjumping and an obstacle course. Orienteering would also be great. Team skydiving perhaps? See who can do the best shapes and manoeuvres.
Getting a bit silly now but for the London 2012 ones I think we should replace discus with welly wanging and include morris dancing!
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
JunkMonkey4, completely agree with underwater course, sounds very watchable! I was thinking earlier about inventing some new swimming events, such as the swimming version of hurdling, with ropes about a metre under the water and they have to dive under them as they swim. Or as a real test, swimming down the canoeing course! Or maybe up it if you're Phelps!!
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Underwater Scrabble
Synchronised beer drinking (for 2012)
Egg and spoon race (for swimmers in honour of the Phelps diet)
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they should add...nothing and remove about 20 sports !!
tennis, not even they care !! us open is next week !
football, dulll no one watches plus they are to worried about getting injured
basketball, go back to america and keep your 500 million
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in relation to my above comment(#160), i feel this sport may fail as it would be quite a male dominated sport.
that being said gymnastics is usually dominated by 14 year old girls, so the ejaculation event could be a way of 14 year old boys dominating a sport of their own.
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I would love to see sports acrobatics and tumbling be added to the olympics, they are fast, exciting and dynamic and GB do extremely well in these areas of gymnastics in the international arena.
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What I don't like so much:
- Too much swimming (it all looks the same)
- Slow motion shots of men running in leotards
What I like:
- The excuse to watch girls in leotards
- Taiwanese women weightlifting (facial expression)
What would be good at for 2012:
- Joy riding events,
Who can joy ride the most cars into the stadium in X minuets/hours
- Teenage pregnancy, yes, already been said.
Don't ask how that will work
- Super freestyle synchronized diving
This will be where you have to create your own dive, it can be anything. Points will be deducted for anything normal.
- Cheese rolling,
Only we would do that, so that gives us an advantage
- Penalty shoot-out, oh, maybe not
I'll be back with more
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I would definitely like to see rugby and lacrosse added, women's amateur boxing as well.
Lacrosse is an exciting, fast moving sport that is growing in popularity world wide. It requires agility, speed, skill, and an ability to read the field very quickly. This is also a sport that athletes of any stature can successfully play, (some of the best attack players I know are barely 5 ft tall.) Lacrosse is also one of few sports that hasn't been hit with any doping scandal, due largely to the fact that bulking up wouldn't do a lacrosse player much good.
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I agree with you S!
Acrobatic gymnastics MUST become an olympic sport. Team GB would be guaranteed medals. Our acro gymnasts are so good, they work so hard and never gat the funding or the recognition the deserve. I hope the BBC will be televising the World Championships in October - they go on about Beth Tweddle being the first British Gymnast ever to win a gymnastic World medal - she is not - our acro gymnasts have been doing it for years! So let's hope Britain will put them in in 2012 - it would be a fabulous crowd puller and well as the opportunity to win even more medals!
M
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Ultimate Frisbee must top most people lists, it's one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Encourages competition but not at the expense of fair play, surely emcompassing the Olympic spirit?
Others to include would be either rugby 7s, Twenty20 cricket or Lacrosse as mentioned above. Only issue with cricket is that it's alread a packed schedule surely leading to the problems we currently have with the football and tennis?
Leading on to the thoughts of what should go, football, tennis simply have to go. The swimming events should be consolidated, as fantastic as phelps has been, it surely underlines the problems with having so many medals with such little differentation. Any form of shooting should be removed as it is as stupid as it is boring to watch.
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Get rid of all the events involving HORSES.
For goodness sake, the Olympics is about HUMAN sports where HUMAN physical effort is in competition. It simply doesn't make sense to include events where an ANIMAL does all the work. Let's keep the Olympics for pure Human sports only.
If you want horses ridden by pony-lovers, put them in a mixed Human-Animal Olympics, OK? And you can include races for guide-dogs leading blind men around, or huskies pulling guys on sleds too.
If you want to argue that riders are physically exerting themselves too and hence man + horse events should be allowed, then you should also allow man + vehicle sports. After all, Forumla One drivers and MotoGP riders surely physically exert themsleves in sport a lot more than those dressage guys on horseback. And so if you want all the horsey 'sports', by the same logic you must allow all forms of motorsports into the Olympics.
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Get Acrobatic Gymnastics (sports acro) in the olympics!!! GB are amazing at it and we never get any recognition for it! It really annoys me when they say Beth is the only GB World Champion because its not true, great as she is, sports acro has loads of GB world champions but we never get the recognition, i am one of them!!! its a great sport and its always a fantastic crowd pleaser! ACRO FOR 2012 OLYMPICS!!! we would deffinatly get to the top of the medal leaderboard then!!!
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i agree with all the sports acro fans!!!!
SPORTS ACROBATICS AND TUMBLING FOR 2012!!!!
its an amazing sport and team gb has always won lots of medals at world and european level i was one of them and would love to see it in london 2012.
They dont get the support and reconision for it as i well know so come on great britain stand togeather and get this great sport into 2012 we would def benefit on the medal tables if this was to happen!!!!!
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ACROBATIC GYMNASTICS FOR 2012!!!
Acrobatic gymnastics is already an extremely popular sport around the world and should be included in 2012!
Great Britain has been winning both European and World medals for many years and currently has many talented athletes competing at the highest level.
Acrobatic gymnastics is an amazing sport to watch with performances getting more and more mind blowing with every competition.
There is no question that it should be included in 2012! Hopefully the BBC will take notice of just popular acrobatic gymnastics is and see that it would be an asset to the London olympics.
Kelvin Hall Arena, Glasgow
3rd-12th October
Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships
Watch it, you will be amazed!
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Roley-Poley race on the track could be fantastic. 100,200, 400m. Best one would be the 110 m Hurdles with a backflip over each hurdle. Can imagine 9 lanes of thrilling spinning. Relay could be difficult by way of wondering where to keep the baton.
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naked relay where the baton goes up the back door, would give us all a laugh
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What sport demands a supreme degree of fitness, high co-ordination, team co-operation, artistic appreciation and a dedication to excellence?
In addition, what sport boasts a fine group of brilliant young athletes who consistently win international medals for Britain, despite a severe lack of funding and being treated as 'poor relations' within their chosen field?
The answer - Acro Gymnastics.
Why this sport doesn't receive better television coverage is beyond me. It's nearest relation in terms of watchability is ice skating - think Torvill and Dean. I have every admiration for the Artistic gymnasts like Beth Tweddle and Lewis Smith, but please... let's see the Acro Gymnasts as well!
Auntie Beeb, take note.... Acro Gymnastics World Championships, Glasgow 2008 - we need you to be there!
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I agree with all those wanting acrobatic gymnastics and tumbling introduced to the Olympics in 2012.
Bejing has proven that British gymnastics has the ability to medal at the olympic games. Beth, Lewis, Dan, Becky and the others all did a fantastic job. But it is true, the levels these gymnasts are now achieving on the international stage has been ahieved by acrobatic gymnasts and tumblers for years.
GB's current acrobatic gymnasts and tumblers are without a doubt amongst the best in the world. This has been achieved with limited or no funding. Imagine the possibilities for GB if this was introduced as an olympic sport for London 2012.
With a vast collection of world medals already I am confident there are many more to come. Olympic medals added to the collection would be a true representation of what our acrobatic gymnasts and tumblers deserve.
***ACROBATIC GYMNASTICS AND TUMBLING FOR LONDON 2012***
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Acrobatic Gymnastics!!!!
This sport is incredible to watch, it's an absolute crowd pleaser and the medals Great Britain would get will be shocking!
Great Britain already wins tons of medals in the worlds and europeans so why not give them a chance in the olympics!
This sport combines so much....strength, agility, power, flexibility, team work the list goes on so it's definatly worthy of a place in the olympics!
xxx
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Can we please have acrobatic gymnastics in the next Olympics. I agree with the other people who have posted comments on this site.
These young athletes train for years and provide great entertainment as their strength and ability is second to none.
Lets give them a chance to show their abilities and hopefully add to the brilliant medal total next time round.
Having seen a few in action it should not be a problem.
Thanks.
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I agree-acro gymnastics all the way!!
you have the power of a weightlifter, the grace of a diver, the tumbling of a gymnast, the speed of a sprinter, the co-ordination of a shooter, and the type of skills to make your jaws drop.
anyone i've ever shown an acro video too is always amazed at how impressive it is. people who know nothing of the sport can still appreciate and enjoy watching it, unlike other sports which are very confusing unless you know all the rules.
it allows people of all ages and shapes to participate-yes you need the tiny tops but you also need big strong bases. it give ex-WAG gymnasts a great way to extend their careers past puberty.
if you want to see what we are talking about go to youtube and look up 'sports acrobatics'. be prepared to be amazed!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jkjSF2VwP4
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Did you see Olympic Gymnastics Gala? Acro and tumbling both featured and they had the biggest crowd cheers! Just another reason why this wonderful sport must be in 2012.
Also BBC have no plans to broadcast the Worlds but are broadcasting the Artistic Grand Prix the week after.
So all acro fans - email BBC to complain - we have all got to stand together and fight for acro so our gymnasts get the recognition they so rightly deserve.
Don't stop me now - I am on a mission!!
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1. Horse Archery.
2. Sepak Takraw
3. Kendo
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Why on earth isnt tumbling an Olympic sport? Some might say I am biased as our son is a tumbler but I happen to love many sports yet have to say that tumbling is a massive crowd pleaser - it is a real spectator sport.
If you havent seen it have a look at the World Championship videos on the internet, triple backs are wedged in-between complicated 'runs'! The tumbles performed knock spots off of the tumbles performed in artistic gymnastics. Having seen many branches of gymnastics being performed at the Olympics I am at a loss as to why the one that 'wows' the crowd the most isn't represented!! They have very strict rules and regulations and have World Championships each year, with countries from all over the world being represented.
START A PETITION!
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Add Acrobatic Gymnastics (Sports Acro)
Very skilful sport
Exciting sport to watch (why does it never get any TV coverage?)
Britain has very high standing in the sport(including World champions)
As exciting as the other gymnastic disciplines
Please check World Championships in October'08
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Sports acrobatic's. Tumbling.
There are no good reason's why these arn't olympic sports.
2012 needs these.
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On a serious note acrobatic gymnastics should be in along with tumbling. Awesome sports.
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Acrobatic gymnastics should be in, along with tumbling. Awesome sports. We have world, European and international champions in these two disciplines. There is no recognition for the gymnasts who compete and there should be. These kids work damn hard and bring in medals time after time. GB are up there with the best, infact GB are one of the best at these disciplines....Come on Olympic Committee you want medals these gymnasts can provide.
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On a completely serious note, I agree with the other people who are backing Sports Acrobatic Gymnastics.
This sport is immense.. such a spectator sport. Acrobatic gymnasts train as hard, if not harder than any of the other olympic sports, and in all fairness, acrobatics is much better to watch!
It allows so much variation and so spectators love it!
You should really consider this one.
And like others have said, GB Acrobats bring in a vast amount of medals! Top Competitors!
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I def think Acrobatic Gymnastics should be an olympic discipline. It never gets boring to watch. Variety of routines, partner work high daring skills. It's a sport that allows a lot of body types to take part, tops (small + light) bases can be big + strong. It's graceful without being prissy + it shows true strength + flexibility. Audiences love it as a sport hey just look at the door receipts for Cirque du Soleil. I really think as an olympic discipline this sport would be a hopping seat seller + cause media frenzy.
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