The Olympics: where sports from all corners of the globe come together to show off their skills, endurance, and occasionally their utter weirdness.
But not every sport gets to stay at the party. Here’s a list of sports that once had their Olympic moment but have since been shown the door. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and chuckle at some of the more bizarre athletic pursuits that didn’t quite make the cut.
Tug of War
Yes, you read that right. Tug of War was once an Olympic sport. From 1900 to 1920, teams literally pulled ropes to glory. Maybe it was the lack of glamour or the abundance of torn ligaments, but this playground classic eventually got yanked from the Games.
Croquet
Nothing screams intense athletic competition like a leisurely game of croquet, right? Introduced in the 1900 Paris Olympics, this sport saw competitors whack balls through hoops. The excitement was palpable—so much so that only one spectator reportedly turned up. Unsurprisingly, it was retired soon after.
RELATED: Rising Sports Stars Who Are The Children Of Pro Athletes
Motorboating
Imagine the thrill of watching boats race… with motors. Motorboating made a splash in the 1908 Olympics. The event was plagued by terrible weather, and visibility was so poor that spectators couldn’t see a thing. After one year, it was clear that this sport didn’t quite float.
Live Pigeon Shooting
In 1900, Paris decided to spice things up with live pigeon shooting. Competitors aimed to take down as many pigeons as possible, leading to a rather feathery aftermath. The sport was mercifully discontinued after the carnage, with clay pigeons taking their place.
RELATED: Legends Of The Octagon: Ten Of The Most Popular MMA Fighters Of All Time
Solo Synchronized Swimming
This sport sounds like an oxymoron, and for a good reason. Solo synchronized swimming, featured in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics, had swimmers performing routines to music. Watching someone try to synchronize with… themselves, proved more perplexing than entertaining.
Rope Climbing
In the early 1900s, athletes tested their upper body strength by racing to the top of a rope. Think gym class, but with medals. This sport was part of the gymnastics program until 1932 when the Olympic Committee decided that watching people climb ropes just wasn’t riveting enough.
Plunge for Distance
In 1904, Olympic athletes dove into the water and remained motionless to see how far they could glide. It was like a lazy man’s long jump. After realizing that this was less about athleticism and more about inertia, the event took a dive off the roster.
Weird Enough?
So there you have it—7 sports that had their brief Olympic glory before quietly slipping out the back door. While some of these events might make you chuckle, they remind us that the Olympics have always been a place of experimentation and, sometimes, very strange ideas.
NEXT: The Dark Side Of Sports: Top 5 Scandals That Stunned The World