New Olympic sports

ugo.santalucia

Is it just me or the new Olympic sports are indeed much more fun than some old dogs?

BMX is great, Skateboard is a lot of fun and I can't wait to watch speed climbing (has it happened yet?).

On the contrary, I keep not seeing the point of having a male football tournament, as well as a rugby tournament and then of course little point in golf... they're all sport that have a year round coverage at the same or higher level.

ugo.santalucia

... little point in tennis too for the same reasons

Jezyboy

I'd keep sevens, different enough from union and league for the Olympic competition to offer something else.

Dorset_Boy

The mens football is pointless as it is an irrelevance in the wider game, being an under 23 tournament.
Is the womens football also an U23 tournament?

I'd also keep the 7s.

Far too many swimming medals available with distances that simply aren't different enough.

Softball should be binned - only 3 countries play the game.
Synchronised swimming can go too.

focuszing723

ugo.santalucia said:

Is it just me or the new Olympic sports are indeed much more fun than some old dogs?

BMX is great, Skateboard is a lot of fun and I can't wait to watch speed climbing (has it happened yet?).

On the contrary, I keep not seeing the point of having a male football tournament, as well as a rugby tournament and then of course little point in golf... they're all sport that have a year round coverage at the same or higher level.

Tell that to Novak Djokovic who really wanted to win a medal and clearly displayed that. Also after Justin Rose won Olympic Gold in Rio the other pro's really wanted to compete in the next Olympics, Rory Mcllroy for example.

Again, you keep starting threads without the slightest bit of research, it's just lazy!

Jezyboy

I think you could make a good argument for getting rid of the road race. Basically the discipline is way too varied for a single gold and also riding around the Pro peleton in a gold helmet looks stupid.

kingstongraham

focuszing723 said:

ugo.santalucia said:

Is it just me or the new Olympic sports are indeed much more fun than some old dogs?

BMX is great, Skateboard is a lot of fun and I can't wait to watch speed climbing (has it happened yet?).

On the contrary, I keep not seeing the point of having a male football tournament, as well as a rugby tournament and then of course little point in golf... they're all sport that have a year round coverage at the same or higher level.

Tell that to Novak Djokovic who really wanted to win a medal and clearly displayed that. Also after Justin Rose won Olympic Gold in Rio the other pro's really wanted to compete in the next Olympics, Rory Mcllroy for example.

Again, you keep starting threads without the slightest bit of research, it's just lazy!

Put the Olympics on at the same time as Wimbledon or the Masters who would choose the olympics?

focuszing723

kingstongraham said:

focuszing723 said:

ugo.santalucia said:

Is it just me or the new Olympic sports are indeed much more fun than some old dogs?

BMX is great, Skateboard is a lot of fun and I can't wait to watch speed climbing (has it happened yet?).

On the contrary, I keep not seeing the point of having a male football tournament, as well as a rugby tournament and then of course little point in golf... they're all sport that have a year round coverage at the same or higher level.

Tell that to Novak Djokovic who really wanted to win a medal and clearly displayed that. Also after Justin Rose won Olympic Gold in Rio the other pro's really wanted to compete in the next Olympics, Rory Mcllroy for example.

Again, you keep starting threads without the slightest bit of research, it's just lazy!

Put the Olympics on at the same time as Wimbledon or the Masters who would choose the olympics?

That's irrelevant, you could say the same if you put the French, Australian and US Open on the same time as Wimbledon?

What about the Giro, Vuelta on the same time as a TDF?

kingstongraham

focuszing723 said:

kingstongraham said:

focuszing723 said:

ugo.santalucia said:

Is it just me or the new Olympic sports are indeed much more fun than some old dogs?

BMX is great, Skateboard is a lot of fun and I can't wait to watch speed climbing (has it happened yet?).

On the contrary, I keep not seeing the point of having a male football tournament, as well as a rugby tournament and then of course little point in golf... they're all sport that have a year round coverage at the same or higher level.

Tell that to Novak Djokovic who really wanted to win a medal and clearly displayed that. Also after Justin Rose won Olympic Gold in Rio the other pro's really wanted to compete in the next Olympics, Rory Mcllroy for example.

Again, you keep starting threads without the slightest bit of research, it's just lazy!

Put the Olympics on at the same time as Wimbledon or the Masters who would choose the olympics?

That's irrelevant, you could say the same if you put the French, Australian and US Open on the same time as Wimbledon?

What about the Giro, Vuelta on the same time as a TDF?

Sure, what would the answer be?

focuszing723

kingstongraham said:

focuszing723 said:

kingstongraham said:

focuszing723 said:

ugo.santalucia said:

Is it just me or the new Olympic sports are indeed much more fun than some old dogs?

BMX is great, Skateboard is a lot of fun and I can't wait to watch speed climbing (has it happened yet?).

On the contrary, I keep not seeing the point of having a male football tournament, as well as a rugby tournament and then of course little point in golf... they're all sport that have a year round coverage at the same or higher level.

Tell that to Novak Djokovic who really wanted to win a medal and clearly displayed that. Also after Justin Rose won Olympic Gold in Rio the other pro's really wanted to compete in the next Olympics, Rory Mcllroy for example.

Again, you keep starting threads without the slightest bit of research, it's just lazy!

Put the Olympics on at the same time as Wimbledon or the Masters who would choose the olympics?

That's irrelevant, you could say the same if you put the French, Australian and US Open on the same time as Wimbledon?

What about the Giro, Vuelta on the same time as a TDF?

Sure, what would the answer be?

Irrelevant, "what if's". The fact is the schedules can be arranged.

kingstongraham

focuszing723 said:

kingstongraham said:

focuszing723 said:

kingstongraham said:

focuszing723 said:

ugo.santalucia said:

Is it just me or the new Olympic sports are indeed much more fun than some old dogs?

BMX is great, Skateboard is a lot of fun and I can't wait to watch speed climbing (has it happened yet?).

On the contrary, I keep not seeing the point of having a male football tournament, as well as a rugby tournament and then of course little point in golf... they're all sport that have a year round coverage at the same or higher level.

Tell that to Novak Djokovic who really wanted to win a medal and clearly displayed that. Also after Justin Rose won Olympic Gold in Rio the other pro's really wanted to compete in the next Olympics, Rory Mcllroy for example.

Again, you keep starting threads without the slightest bit of research, it's just lazy!

Put the Olympics on at the same time as Wimbledon or the Masters who would choose the olympics?

That's irrelevant, you could say the same if you put the French, Australian and US Open on the same time as Wimbledon?

What about the Giro, Vuelta on the same time as a TDF?

Sure, what would the answer be?

Irrelevant, "what if's". The fact is the schedules can be arranged.

I guess if there were no limit on the number of sports, you wouldn't need any criteria. I don't think it should be at the Olympics if it isn't the pinnacle of the sport.

The vuelta can exist fine as a second grade event with less prestige than the tdf, but I don't think the Olympics should be a second grade event.

morstar

I’d agree. When the IOC desperately want to manage athlete numbers, why shoehorn in well established sports with a novelty medal when other sports where the olympics are the pinnacle have to limit events. E.g. track cycling.

focuszing723

Winning an Olympic medal is a completely different experience though. It's akin to perhaps competing in the Ryder cup (US v Europe). The Pro golfers mentioned this, rather than playing for yourself it's for your Country and it's a different experience from the usual Pro Tours.

Personally, I like that.

pblakeney

morstar said:

I’d agree. When the IOC desperately want to manage athlete numbers, why shoehorn in well established sports with a novelty medal when other sports where the olympics are the pinnacle have to limit events. E.g. track cycling.

Fair point. Track cycling can stay, road racing should go.

Dorset_Boy

No prize money to play for at the Olympics is there? Come fourth or worse and you just go home with memories. That's pretty different from playing in any other golf or tennis tournament.

laurentian

One of the great things about the "new" sports is that we (GB&NI) seem to be winning medals in them - one medal in each of the BMX events and one in the park skateboarding along with a good shout in the climbing from what I understand . . .

For things like BMX, canoeing, archery, shooting etc etc, the Olympics represents the very pinnacle of achievement in the sport and, where a sport lacks a finite "peak", I think it's introduction into the Olympics is a brilliant thing. I have heard of the "X" Games but would imagine that an Olympic Gold would rate above a win at them or, for instance, the skateboarding world championship.

I agree on the men's football. Brazil vs Spain in the Olympics would fall a distant second to me watching a hitherto unheard of Ivorian in the women's skeet shooting. The same match in the World Cup would see a large "do not disturb" sign on the front door and me glued to the TV for the entire build up, match and post mortem. It is simply not the pinnacle of the sport.

I do think that perhaps the golfers, tennis palyers, footballers etc see the Olympics as the chance to represent the Olympic Team of their nation rather than just, for example, the football team - be part of something bigger but by and large I can't see any of them swapping Olympic Gold for the WC, Open Championship or Grand Slam.

Sevens rugby has been a great success and, despite there being a recognised sevens circuit and World Cup, I think it could be argued that the Olympics competition now represents the pinnacle of achievement - particularly in the women's game.

elbowloh

Dorset_Boy said:

No prize money to play for at the Olympics is there? Come fourth or worse and you just go home with memories. That's pretty different from playing in any other golf or tennis tournament.

I think National Olympic associations give prize money to their own medal winning athletes, each paying different amounts.

A Singaporean Gold Medal winner will get $737k USD, an Australian $15k

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/29/tokyo-olympics-how-much-athletes-earn.html

morstar

focuszing723 said:

Winning an Olympic medal is a completely different experience though. It's akin to perhaps competing in the Ryder cup (US v Europe). The Pro golfers mentioned this, rather than playing for yourself it's for your Country and it's a different experience from the usual Pro Tours.

Personally, I like that.

Like I say, a novelty.

If it attracted all the biggest names to qualifying, fair enough. It doesn’t though whilst in other sports it is the very top and yet often is diluted to manage athlete numbers.

focuszing723

morstar said:

focuszing723 said:

Winning an Olympic medal is a completely different experience though. It's akin to perhaps competing in the Ryder cup (US v Europe). The Pro golfers mentioned this, rather than playing for yourself it's for your Country and it's a different experience from the usual Pro Tours.

Personally, I like that.

Like I say, a novelty.

If it attracted all the biggest names to qualifying, fair enough. It doesn’t though whilst in other sports it is the very top and yet often is diluted to manage athlete numbers.

You must of missed my post about McIlroy and Djokovic?

Also, why the hell would you not want sport stars not to appear at your Olympic games?

focuszing723

Right, I'm done with another lazy thread.

ugo.santalucia

Agree, the road race is probably redundant, but it's one race, as opposed to a big tournament taking over the calendar.
That said, I'd rather see more track events, than another "classic".
Maybe more MTB could be nice, downhill would certainly be an exciting race

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Bring on the Olympic road bike hill climbing event... Feather and Laverack in the mix for medals, or would they be way off the likes of Pog and Rog?

morstar

focuszing723 said:

morstar said:

focuszing723 said:

Winning an Olympic medal is a completely different experience though. It's akin to perhaps competing in the Ryder cup (US v Europe). The Pro golfers mentioned this, rather than playing for yourself it's for your Country and it's a different experience from the usual Pro Tours.

Personally, I like that.

Like I say, a novelty.

If it attracted all the biggest names to qualifying, fair enough. It doesn’t though whilst in other sports it is the very top and yet often is diluted to manage athlete numbers.

You must of missed my post about McIlroy and Djokovic?

Also, why the hell would you not want sport stars not to appear at your Olympic games?

I haven’t missed anything and definitely do want the biggest stars at the olympics.

In which recent Olympic Games have the top 4 male and female tennis and golf stars all played? (Exclude injuries)

In which olympics have elite track cyclists not competed due to participant limitations?

TheBigBean

I find it interesting that the men's half-pipe is the most watched event in the winter olympics. Goes to show that new sports can be more popular than old ones.

kingstongraham

focuszing723 said:

morstar said:

focuszing723 said:

Winning an Olympic medal is a completely different experience though. It's akin to perhaps competing in the Ryder cup (US v Europe). The Pro golfers mentioned this, rather than playing for yourself it's for your Country and it's a different experience from the usual Pro Tours.

Personally, I like that.

Like I say, a novelty.

If it attracted all the biggest names to qualifying, fair enough. It doesn’t though whilst in other sports it is the very top and yet often is diluted to manage athlete numbers.

You must of missed my post about McIlroy and Djokovic?

Also, why the hell would you not want sport stars not to appear at your Olympic games?

Viral Kohli isn't there.

ugo.santalucia

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

Bring on the Olympic road bike hill climbing event... Feather and Laverack in the mix for medals, or would they be way off the likes of Pog and Rog?

It's really just a provincial British sport... very Corinthian, winner prize for a race is typically 30 quid

Jezyboy

TheBigBean said:

I find it interesting that the men's half-pipe is the most watched event in the winter olympics. Goes to show that new sports can be more popular than old ones.

I'm surprised /sad it's not the hockey.

DeVlaeminck

The women's Olympic football is a huge tournament - it's not age limited like the men's.

I'd have thought any argument that it should be dropped is really down to the status of the men's competition - that shouldn't be a reason to bin the women.

kingstongraham

DeVlaeminck said:

The women's Olympic football is a huge tournament - it's not age limited like the men's.

I'd have thought any argument that it should be dropped is really down to the status of the men's competition - that shouldn't be a reason to bin the women.

The men's tournament is on its own in being under 23 except for three players over 23s per team. It's also a bit odd that it is at multiple locations and starts days before the opening ceremony.

I don't see an issue with dropping the men's tournament and keeping the women's.

ugo.santalucia

kingstongraham said:

I don't see an issue with dropping the men's tournament and keeping the women's.

Me neither, there are women only sports already. Women football needs more profile, men's football needs less profile

ddraver

Dorset_Boy said:

Softball should be binned - only 3 countries play the game.

Softball and Baseball are only exhibition sports arent they? They are here and were in Atlanta. Guess it's something for the locals... (What was the equivalent in GB..?)