At the moment I’m watching the cycling in the Olympics and I have realised there is one common theme with most sports in the Olympics: no one knows the rules. Since when did cycling involve points, and what the hell are they doing in judo?
The Olympics are one of the most watched thing on the TV in Australia, regardless that no one know any of the rules.
The Olympics is the world stage of sport, it should involve the hardest and most popular sports in the world. Instead it has sports like rhythmic gymnastics. Taekwondo, judo and wrestling all have big differences, but being the average Aussie I am, appear to me to have no difference.
Of course sports like swimming and athletics have to be included, physically demanding sports like rowing and weightlifting should be included. Also sports like gymnastics should be included because of their difficulty.
Popular sports like soccer should be included and, although I hate ping pong…a lot, it too should be included because so many people play it.
But do we need baseball and softball, do we need many types of diving? Should sports like badminton be included?
I think there needs to be more variety of sports in the Olympics. Let’s start by not having beach volleyball and volleyball, and all those different types of rowing and kayaking. Yes there are differences, but we’re seeing countries that are only good at a few sports winning heaps of metals for basically the same thing.
New Zeland are losing to countries like the Ukraine and Azerbaijan, are they worse at sport? No its just that there not as good at judo and shooting.
The Olympics seem to be dominated by northern hemisphere sports like handball. I say give the whole world a chance and include sports that Fiji and New Zealand are good at. The Olympics used to have cricket, it used to have rugby but now doesn’t have enough sports that the whole world play.
Cricket is a huge sport played by millions but is replaced by shooting. As I said, put the most popular and hardest sports in the world and don’t just have sports that favour just one continent. There needs to be a change.
Daniel King
Guest
To be honest mate i've always found swimming a joke. Isn't the point of a race to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible? So why have four versions of the same distance. The fastest is the free then you've got backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke. Couple that with all the distances and the medley races it's no wonder you Aussies do so well in the medal table you've got four chances at the same race. Can you imagine if you have the 100m track sprint, then the 100m hop, 100m roly poly and 100m backwards, then the relays and medley and medley relays. (The only similarity is race walking which lets face it, we all think is silly) Being a Brit and being the cycling powerhouse that we are now i suggest we have all the current cyling events then the same ones again but on unicycles, tricycles and the thing that the Goodies rode, it'd be hilarious. But seriously, when you think about it, swimming is odd. Isn't it?
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Oh, and if you took away all those cycling and rowing events, NZ would have even less medals. We have 3 rowing medals and 2 cycling medals.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
"New Zealand are losing to countries like the Ukraine and Azerbaijan, are they worse at sport? No its just that there not as good at judo and shooting." The Olympics aren't about competing with other countries, they're about the spirit of competition itself. Why should Ukrainian and Azerbaijanian athletes be excluded from competing at sports they're good at? They have as much right to be there as any other athlete. And since when were judo and wrestling not hard, physical sports? I don't agree with all of the programs in the Olympics, but if it doesn't appeal to me I don't pay it any attention. I certainly don't validate an Olympic sport based on whether I want it on my screen. There's a fair few people around the world who'd scratch their head at rugby or cricket. Not only that, but the ICC and IRB are so badly run that who wants them to form bedfellows with the IOC? I'm a big fan of judo and wrestling at the Olympics. I think they're far more valid than team sports. With astute commentary you can understand the rules. The Olympics should be about amateur sports. And it's not a medal race!
Steffy
Guest
So sports which are played all around the world should be excluded so that New Zealand and Fiji can have a chance?
mtngry
Guest
I agree that Rugby should be in... then people in Eastern Europe, Asia, Nth Africa etc would probably complain about it being there I have to say I like learning about more sports, am struggling with this points riding though. And I LOVE wrestling, but did not get to see any at all on either channel
London calling
Guest
Flity, Your parochial views would probably be better appreciated on a news ltd website.