Should these be Olympic sports?

**chaggle** · 10th December 2009, 01:21 PM

I am uncomfortable with the inclusion of Football and Tennis in the Olympics. I don't watch them and I'm not interested in the results.

I have tried to work out why and I think it's because the Olympics is not the pinnacle of achievement in these sports; in Football it is the World Cup and in Tennis it is the four grand slam tournaments. I think I'm right in saying that it is the pinnacle in all the other sports.

For the same reason Rugby should not be included and indeed it isn't.

Any thoughts?

**DrS** · 10th December 2009, 01:48 PM

I don't know. Something like ice-skating has World Championships and Olympics, and I don't know which would be considered more important. Ditto athletics, swimming (I think) ...

Is it because they bear no relation whatsoever to the original principles of the games, i.e. pretty much track and field.

**chaggle** · 10th December 2009, 01:58 PM

Yes, many sports also have world championships - athletics included. I don't know how they rank amongst the competitors themselves but to Joe Public Olympic gold medal is the one they all remember.

**Tony Williams** · 10th December 2009, 02:52 PM

As a (couch potato) follower of athletics I can tell you that the Olympics are rated by the athletes far more highly than the World Championships . I don't really know why since the level of competition is the same, except that the Olympics are only once every four years rather than every two, which makes the medals more exclusive.

Many sports have been added to the Olympics over the years, some of them highly debatable (synchronised swimming, anyone?). There doesn't seem to be any general will to cut the numbers though.

**farmersboy** · 10th December 2009, 03:40 PM

I think the Olympics should (broadly) remain the track and field events - football and tennis shouldn't be in it. Whatever next, Olympic cricket?

Oh, hang on, I don't like any of these sports. Tell you what, lump them all together and then we'd only have to put up with them once every 4 years, leaving much more airtime to motor racing and rugby!

(and maybe snooker...)