With the hot Rio sun will come three new sports to the Olympic Spectrum: golf, kite-surfing, and rugby sevens.
With the inclusion of golf, this means Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Phil Michelson – all legends of the sport – will now be attending the Olympics.
While these superstars will no doubt bring spectators and cash, their inclusion raises concerns about the true purpose of the games.
Should it not be seen as the pinnacle of a sport? Should it not be the making of four long years of blood, sweat and tears, the crowing pinnacle of sporting achievement? Yet this would not be the case for golf, for nothing will take away from the supremacy of the majors.
The same could be said for tennis. While taking nothing away from Andy Murruy’s supreme win, he is yet to win a major and this feeling will continue to loom over his career. His performance will not be raised in the same heroic light as Moe Farrah track brilliance, or Usain Bolt’s dominance on the track.
It is my opinion that tennis and golf should pave way for the return of softball and baseball, sports in which the gold medal is seen as the be all and end all.
That is the true Olympic spirit after all: athletes coming, giving their best, their all, for the ultimate prize.
Tom
Guest
the idea of handing out a medal in golf instead of a trophy just seems wrong. I cant wait for rugby 7s. Im over football as being the only outdoor team sports and the rugby 7 crowds usually have a carnival atmosphere compared to the 15 man game which would suit the brazillians Kite surfing sounds like something a 5 year old would do
Chop
Guest
Golf is shouldn't be an olympic sport. Unless it was played Ryder/Presidents Cup style as a team rather than individually.
AndyMack
Guest
Yes def an issue, we see that with plenty of other sports in the olympics as well.
Andrew
Guest
For a sport to be in the Olympics, the gold medal must be the pinnicale of the sport. For golf that is far from the case if the Olympic event is a traditional 4 round tournament. Golf should be a team event in the Olympics and the event format should be known as the Olympic format. Teams consist of 3 or 4 players and play singles and foursomes matchplay matches. A gold medal in this format will mean a lot more because it is Olyimpic specific and it is very rare that golfers get to represent their country in a team environment. I am sure the response from the players will be positive because they not only have responsibility for themselves but also their team mates.
Matt F
Roar Guru
I think you'll find that a fair few superstars will miss out. Apparently each country will only be allowed to pick 2 players to represent them (however a country with more than 2 players in the Top 15 can take up to 4 players) so there will be a large number of good players missing out in favour of some rubbish golfers because they need to have an even spread of countries. There will be some quality in the field but the depth will be poor. For example, based on the current rankings the USA would be represented by Tiger Woods, Webb Simpson, Bubba Watson and Jason Duffner (they get 4 players as they have at least 4 in the top 15.) There are another 8 players from the USA in the Top 20 who wouldn't be able to compete in Rio
Jerry
Guest
Adam Scott may not be a legend, but if he's there that means the Olympics will have a true giant participating. A man who has transcended his sport to the point where he no longer has to even play it in order to be dominant. So good is he that his mere presence elevates an also ran to a champion. And he does all this merely by saying things such as "135 yards to the pin, try the 8 iron". I'm referring to the man, the legend - Steve Williams.
JJ
Guest
"It is my opinion that tennis and golf should pave way for the return of softball and baseball, sports in which the gold medal is seen as the be all and end all." dude ... you're kidding aren't you. think an mlb contract/world series is the be all and end all. do agree re golf, tennis + soccer for that matter ... and hey, let's throw in basketball too ... none of these shld be O sports ... but hey, i'm a purist.
AndyMack
Guest
Adam Scott - a legend of the sport?? taking the p1ss there surely.... Agree that golf should not be part of the Olympics. Same as tennis. Golf is one sport more than any other where you can play rubbish for ages, then turn on a great week and win something. Hate to see Olympic gold handed out in such a manner.