New sports for the Olympic games

[Marc Meakin]

What sports/games should be included in the Olympic games but are not already there?
I know some have been in before.

[James Robinson]

Also, rugby 7's (which I believe is a form of union) and golf are going to be in the Rio Olympics, so they don't necessarily need to be in the poll.

[Kirk Bevins]

What sports/games should be included in the Olympic games but are not already there?
I know some have been in before.

I love watching pros at ten pin bowling - it's incredible. Also seeing Ronnie and Taylor at the tops of their game is similarly mind boggling and I would love to see these three sports at the olympics.

[Charlie Reams]

American football would be kinda interesting. The gold would be pretty much a foregone conclusion but it would be interesting to see how other countries would get on.

They had baseball at the last few Olympics, has it been removed?

[Alec Rivers]

A bit Pythonesque, I know, but Synchronised Queueing and 1600m Moaning Relays might get us a medal or two.

[Andy Wilson]

Hurling!

[James Doohan]

American football would be kinda interesting. The gold would be pretty much a foregone conclusion but it would be interesting to see how other countries would get on.

They had baseball at the last few Olympics, has it been removed?

Not really, the remaining medal positions would most likely be filled by Canada and Britain in that order.
Baseball is still an Olympic sport and is very popular outside the US, mostly in the Far East, the Carribbean and Central America

[Martin Bishop]

American football would be kinda interesting. The gold would be pretty much a foregone conclusion but it would be interesting to see how other countries would get on.

They had baseball at the last few Olympics, has it been removed?

Not really, the remaining medal positions would most likely be filled by Canada and Britain in that order.
Baseball is still an Olympic sport and is very popular outside the US, mostly in the Far East, the Carribbean and Central America

Actually, Beijing was baseball's last strike. It's gone for 2012.

I think the Olympics should be the pinnacle of achievement for any sport that's part of the games. That's why I didn't want golf to join. I don't care about cycling or Kayaking for the rest of the four years. It's the fact that the competitor's are competing to achieve a life's ambition that make's it great.

Of the sports that were competing for a place at 2012, I wanted squash to make it in. It's already in the commonwealth games and I always half-expect for it to be there already.

Having said all that, I'm a hypocrite and, come 2012, will be heading to Wimbledon for the tennis.

[Gavin Chipper]

I had a converstation in a pub with a friend a few years ago, and we whittled the Olympics down to about seven events. There was running (may have had sprinting and distance, depending on how generous we were). Then there was jumping - it's up to you whether you jump long or high - furthest wins! Throwing was another. I think we limited it to a ball for aerodynamic reasons, but mass and size is up to you (although there might be something to be said about filling it with helium). Then there's force. Push, pull - whatever - who can exert the most force wins. We may have considered swimming, but it was borderline. We generally went against anything involving "machines" (bikes, boats, rackets etc.) I can't remember the exact details but you get the picture.

Edit - And first to go was anything that involved judges' opinions about how good you are.

[Andy Thomson]

Trivia interjection - the reigning Olympic champions at rugby union are the USA. The last time the event was in the Olympics was (I think) 1924 and the USA won the gold medal.

Mildly interesting...don't you think?

[David Roe]

rugby 7's (which I believe is a form of union)

Rugby 7's is like Union, except that when someone's tackled they have to get up and carry on instead of lying in a heap for several minutes, and that they run with the ball instead of kicking it to each other all the time, and that the winner tends to be the one that scores more tries, not the one that has the better kicker. Oh, that makes it a form of League, I think.

I don't understand why cricket isn't in. 20-20 is ideal for the limited attention span the Olympics allows, and it does follow the official criterion (which baseball, for example, doesn't) that it's played at high level on all five continents. And has the added unofficial benefit that it gives a whole raft of countires who don't win all that much (viz. the various West Indies) something to get excited about.

[Liam Tiernan]

Hurling!

Might not be popular with the Yanks, though. My American nephews thought the poster advertising the "Guinness All-Ireland Hurling Championship" was the funniest thing they'd ever seen.

[John Bosley]

I am surprised there was not more support for conkers.

[Andy Wilson]

I am surprised there was not more support for conkers.

That ol chestnut eh...

[Alec Rivers]

I am surprised there was not more support for conkers.

I voted.

[Matt Morrison]

I am surprised there was not more support for conkers.

That's why they invented bras, no? BA DOOM TSCH!!!