Crap events

Excluding the darts-jibe, all I see is them saying it doesn't push your body to it's absolute limits and that it is "good exercise". Where exactly did they say "it isn't physically demanding at all"?

I suppose he is "refusing to accept the facts" because he doesn't believe them. Dressage riders could go on about how physically demanding it is all they want - it isn't going to change my opinion that unfit people are physically capable of doing it. It always struck me as a skillful event, not remotely a physical endurance event - even if it is exercise.

Ok then what about Football? There are plenty examples of people who look unfit and are still playing it. Rooney was quite fat, Ronaldo was fat and still playing.

Compared to some sports, Football barely requires any physical fitness.

Well if you're the goalie maybe, but only a moron would argue that football "barely requires any physical fitness" - whether you're comparing it or not (though comparing it to what exactly?). The fact that 2 players may be "fat" is utterly irrelevant. If I put an obese person on a horse, could I then claim that horse riding is so easy even the morbidly obese could do it?

This maybe controversial but 100m is overrated, all they do is run as fast as they can. No skill or talent involved.

That's exactly what people are trying to do, trying to argue that horse riding requires no fitness because an old woman can do it.

Just as I bet you wouldn't hit hit 10.8's on the air rifle like they were doing on the majority of shots today.

Hours of practise and dedication are put into every individual sport, just because you/the OP/whoever doesn't have a particular affinity to that sport, doesn't warrant it to be immediately sidelined or deemed unworthy.

I think instead of spending your time complaining about what should/shouldn't be classed as a "sport" in your opinion, you should recognise some of the amazing feats that these athletes are achieving.


If I could shoot a bow from 70 metres away and hit the gold nearly every shot, I would be darned proud of myself and as a result I am proud/amazed by the talent I saw today at the Olympic archery. Heck, maybe i'd even volunteer for tribute. (Hunger games puns are allowed, right?)

Wait that just reminded me of a completely unrelated thing to this thread, one of the French archers name was Gale, the volunteers running around the olympics are called 'gamemakers'.... I see parallels!

I think the difference here is that some sports require a great amount of physical exersion such a athletics and others require more skill like dressage.

Why should we reward phyically exercison over a well honed skill? Why is one better or more impressive than the other? I bet you could go for a run right now couldn't you? Could you climb on a horse right now and make it jump? I'm guessing not!

None of the events are crap, and they all have their place. Any sport with reasonable international following and participation should be the olympics imo if scheduling permits (so i think all of golf rugby and cricket should be in)


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Who are you to say what others want for their body?

And also, the guy that "a generation should aspire to be"


1) Got banned for 2years for doping
2) After serving said suspension, he claimed he did nothing wrong

yep, I want to be him

For all those who don't think that horse riding (and especially dressage) isn't physically demanding: I'd like to see you try having complete control over every muscle in your body. Keeping them all in exactly the right place and with exactly the right strength - too soft gives you no control over the horse and too hard means you lose your balance. Learning exactly how to shift your weight to the precise point to instruct the horse to turn and allow it to do so freely. Knowing where to hold your body to keep yourself balanced while a horse jumps a series of 6 ft jumps over 6 km (and actually having the muscles to hold it in that position for the time required). I bet the people saying it's not a sport couldn't even manage to get into a horse.