It seems to me that one of the problems with the Olympics is that too many non-sports (gymnastics, diving, etc,) are included. I would like to see the Olympics pared down to those sports which have objective parameters. In the discus, for example, the winner is the athlete who hurls the discus the farthest; the 100 yard dash goes to the first runner to cross the line.
2007-05-11 10:59:13 · 10 answers · asked by denlp96 5 in Sports ➔ Olympics
The point is being missed. Yes, gymnastics and diving (and figure skating, etc.) require certain degrees of strength and agility; so do ball room dancing and ballet, but no one would call them sports. The point is that winning in gymnastics and its ilk is determined entirely arbitrarily. The winner in the lng jump is the person who jumps the farthest, no ifs ands or buts.
2007-05-12 09:55:22 · update #1
For me , I think tennis should be dropped because the olympics is supposed to be the most important competition of your sport and in tennis Wibledon is the most important
2007-05-11 12:57:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The best Olympic sports, hands down, are the sports where the Olympic gold is the dream of every participating athlete from elementary school. That's why the Olypmics are the pinnacle of most individual sports.
The first sports to eliminate, then, are the team ones dominated by the professionals. Men's Basketball can go; the best players are generally NBA players, who are as or more concerned about getting injured or having a problem with the Reebok uniforms conflicting with their Nike contract as they are worried about winning the gold. Hockey is similar. Baseball also shouldn't be allowed for this reason.
Olympic gold is everyone's dream in track & field, so it's in. Nothing compares to winning that medal. Swimming events are perfect for the Olympics. Winter skiing, bobsledding, luge, skeleton, and the like are great events which we only watch in the Olympics (otherwise I'd say why give a sledder a medal for riding their Flexible Flyer?). Bicycle racing is in, despite the Tour de France, because there are so many variables in the different distances.
But the question asker seems troubled by sports which have non-objective elements tied to them. Heaven knows that I have no chance of determining how good someone's dive, or gymnastics routine, or figure skating routine, really was. But does that make it less of a sport? No. Without a knockout, boxing is pretty subjective. Some of the most athletic contests on earth have no objective way to be measured. Yet for those sports, the Olympic gold is the dream of the elementary school kid who plays the sport. Those are the sports which really should be in the Olympics.
It's easy to argue that the casual fan should be able to watch the Olympics and know just by watching who won. But realistically, how many events do we not know the likely champions in prior to the Olympics starting? Most individual sports have somewhere between probably 6 to 10 athletes with a realistic chance of winning, whether it be figure skating, swimming, or the 100 meter dash. The only difference is that better form in the 100 meters just makes you go faster, which is the equivalent of better form in figure skating making your moves look prettier. The only difference is that scoring is different; sure, the shot put winner threw it the farthest, but he probably as well had the best form which is why he threw it the farthest, whereas the gymnast with the best form probably had the most secure landing.
Again, if the Olympics are the pinnacle of the sport, I believe that is should be in the Olympics.
2007-05-11 14:13:01 · answer #2 · answered by David B 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I get it. Sports where the winner is based on judges are pretty questionable. However, diving and gymnastics have pretty strict guidelines when it comes to judging, so I think they don't have to worry. Some sports I wouldn't mind getting rid of are:
Summer:
Synchronized Swimming, Archery (maybe), Badminton, Equestrian, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Sailing, Shooting, and Table Tennis
Winter:
where to start? How about I just list the events I would keep.
Speed Skating, Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, and Ski Jumping. That's right, MY winter Olympics has 4 sports.
2007-05-13 05:43:00 · answer #3 · answered by paswa17 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gymnastics are sports, but the artistic gymnastics where they jump around with a ribbon or ball is not a sport it is art. I don't think golf or tennis should have come back into the Olympics. There will always be problems with judged events,such as boxing or skating or diving. However, the problems are not as bad as they once were when it was strictly by politics.
2007-05-11 12:20:54 · answer #4 · answered by lestermount 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The proper definition of a sport is along the lines of: "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc. "
Based on this definition, diving IS a "sport" even though the scoring system relies on a human interpretation of how the athletes perform.
Personally I would drop figure skating and boxing. Others I wouldn't want to drop, but would have to if it was "objective sports only" - mougles, and half-pipe snowboarding.
2007-05-12 16:01:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well gymnastics is a sport. It is physical education. I am a coach for gymnastics and I am 21.
Why we put gymnastics in the olympics is because these girls and boys have learned flexiblity and they worked hard and that's why it's in the olympics. And just learning to be flexible is the main ting but isn't not the main thing.
Diving shouldn't be in the olympics is because they just swim and compete other contestants.
Track and Field should definetly be in the olympics because running is great for you, people have worked hard to join in the olympics.
Overall I think all sports shouold be in the olympics except for the ones when that aren't too lame to be in there.
Hope I helped!!!!!
2007-05-12 03:55:07 · answer #6 · answered by vintagelove 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK, first of all gymnastics and diving are sports. They are very competitive, hard and fun to watch (especially gymnastics) these should be one of the last sports to get dropped from the Olympics. So i don't know why you think gymnastics and diving aren't sports, id like to see you try what they do!
2007-05-11 11:22:24 · answer #7 · answered by Lindsay 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I honestly have continually reported group activities choose a separate Olympics. Basketball, baseball, group bowling, soccer, different group events may be high-quality there. So save it--yet set aside a distinctive set of venues or maybe a distinctive season of the Olympic 365 days for it. For me they clog up the guy competitions that are the Olympics--song and field, gymnastic disciplines etc. thank you for asking.
2016-12-11 06:51:17 · answer #8 · answered by kreitman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gymnastics and diving you have to be very agile. So they are sports. Lots of women like watching them.
I would drop sequences swimming and ryme gymnastics.
I would also drop weight lifting as they have the most cheats.
2007-05-12 09:31:35 · answer #9 · answered by jobees 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think all the sports should be compete at the olympic,i can not wait to see olympic BEIJING next yer 2008 though!
GYMNASTIC,DIVING,GYMNASTIC DANCING can not cut at beijing olympic,period!
2007-05-12 18:37:38 · answer #10 · answered by trojan_glory 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋