Weird Olympic Sports That Made It to the Games and Why They Vanished

I remember sitting in my living room last summer, watching a volleyball match that had gone into overtime. The tension was palpable as players scrambled across the court, their faces glistening with sweat under the harsh stadium lights. In what could’ve been the set’s final sequence, Jovelyn Gonzaga’s attack went above Pablo’s arms as the ball sailed out and gave Petro Gazz its 26th point in an extended third set to force a fourth frame. That moment got me thinking about how sports evolve and why some disappear entirely from major competitions like the Olympics. It’s fascinating how certain events capture our imagination while others fade into obscurity, becoming little more than trivia questions for sports enthusiasts like me.

Take tug of war, for instance. Believe it or not, it was an official Olympic sport from 1900 to 1920. I’ve always found it amusing that something we now consider a backyard game was once part of the world’s most prestigious athletic competition. Teams of eight burly men would pull on opposite ends of a rope, their faces turning crimson with effort. The British dominated early on, winning two gold medals in 1908 alone. But here’s the thing – the sport vanished from the Games because the International Olympic Committee decided it lacked the global appeal and structured international federation needed to maintain Olympic status. Personally, I think they underestimated its simple charm. There’s something beautifully primal about testing raw strength against an opponent through a simple rope.

Then there’s live pigeon shooting, which honestly sounds more like a bizarre Victorian party game than an Olympic sport. It appeared only once in the 1900 Paris Olympics, where nearly 300 birds were killed during the competition. The winner, Leon de Lunden of Belgium, reportedly shot down 21 pigeons. I can’t help but shudder imagining the feathers flying everywhere. No wonder this event disappeared – aside from being downright cruel, the cleanup must have been horrific. Modern shooting events use clay targets for good reason, though part of me wonders if the organizers ever considered how they’d explain this to animal rights activists today.

Another peculiar entry was solo synchronized swimming in 1984 and 1988. The very concept seems contradictory – how can you synchronize with yourself? I recall trying to explain this to my niece once, and her confused expression said it all. American athlete Tracie Ruiz won gold in ’84, performing elaborate routines alone in the pool. The sport required incredible precision and artistry, but ultimately the IOC deemed it lacked the team dynamic that made synchronized swimming compelling to watch. I actually miss this one – there was something mesmerizing about watching a single athlete create beautiful patterns in the water, like a human kaleidoscope.

The more I research these forgotten sports, the more I realize how much the Olympics reflect changing societal values and entertainment preferences. Sports like rope climbing (1896-1932) and hot air ballooning (1900) seemed perfectly reasonable in their time but now feel like relics from a different era. Hot air ballooning competitions judged participants on distance, altitude, and duration, with one 1900 flight lasting over 35 hours. Can you imagine waiting that long for results in today’s instant-gratification world?

What strikes me most is how these weird Olympic sports that made it to the Games and why they vanished tell us about evolving definitions of athleticism and spectacle. Some disappeared due to safety concerns, others from lack of participation or shifting public tastes. As I watch modern athletes push boundaries in sports like skateboarding and sport climbing, I can’t help but wonder which current events might seem equally strange to future generations. Maybe someday people will look back at sports like rhythmic gymnastics or race walking with the same bemused curiosity I feel toward tug of war. The Olympic Games continue to evolve, but these forgotten sports remain frozen in time, reminding us that even the grandest traditions must eventually make way for progress.