Over the course of the modern Olympics, there have been a number of sports that have been added and struck from the roster. Today we’ll talk about a few of them, several of which are one-timers.

Research:

  • “Antwerp 1920: tug of war and a 72-year-old medalist.” Olympics.com. https://olympics.com/en/news/antwerp-1920-tug-of-war-and-a-72-year-old-medallist
  • “Blast from the past: plunging in St Louis.” Olympics.com. https://olympics.com/en/news/blast-from-the-past-plunging-in-st-louis
  • Bosco, Nicole. “Why aren't baseball and softball in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games?” Microsoft Start. July 3, 2024. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/why-aren-t-baseball-and-softball-in-the-2024-paris-summer-olympic-games/ar-BB1pll7T
  • Brief, Sam. “In With the New: What are the new sports and events at the 2024 Paris Olympics?” NBC. June 24, 2024. https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/new-what-are-new-sports-and-events-2024-paris-olympics
  • Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Athens 1896 Olympic Games". Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 May. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Athens-1896-Olympic-Games
  • Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "tug-of-war". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/sports/tug-of-war
  • Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "How Are Sports Chosen for the Olympics?". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/story/how-are-sports-chosen-for-the-olympics
  • “English Sporting Spirit.” The State. Aug. 5, 1908. https://www.newspapers.com/image/746603747/?match=1&terms=tug-of-war
  • “Finnish Athlete Best With Javelin.” Paterson Morning Call. July 18, 1908. https://www.newspapers.com/image/552453684/?match=1&terms=tug-of-war
  • Gibson, Megan. “9 Really Strange Sports That Are No Longer in the Olympics.” July 6, 2012. https://olympics.time.com/2012/07/16/really-strange-sports-that-are-longer-in-the-olympics
  • Grannan, Cydney. "7 Canceled or Reintroduced Olympic Sports". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/list/7-canceled-or-reintroduced-olympic-sports
  • Hernandez, Marco. “The Forgotten Events.” Reuters. June 30, 2021. https://www.reuters.com/graphics/OLYMPICS-2020/HISTORY/oakpedqbgvr/
  • “History of Skeleton.” Olympics.com. https://olympics.com/en/sports/skeleton/
  • Lucas, Charles J. “New Side to Athletic War.” Courier-Journal. Dec. 29, 1908. https://www.newspapers.com/image/119323293/?match=1&terms=tug-of-war
  • Mallon, Bill. “The 1900 Olympic Games.” McFarland. 1998. https://archive.org/details/1900olympicgames00mall/page/188/mode/2up
  • “New York Athletes’ Victory Protested.” New York Times. Sept. 4, 1904. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20465579/?match=1&terms=tug-of-war%20olympics
  • Nichols, Paula. “Olympic tug of war and its ‘controversial’ demise.”  Canadian Olympic Committee. July 22, 2014. https://olympic.ca/2014/07/22/olympic-tug-of-war-and-its-controversial-demise/
  • “Olympic Games St. Louis 1904 – Tug of War Results.” Olympics.com. https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/st-louis-1904/results/tug-of-war
  • “Olympics History.” Tug of War Association England. http://tugofwar.co.uk/olympics-history
  • Pruitt-Young, Sharon. “Here's How The Olympics Decide What Sports To Include — And Which To Leave Out.” NPR. July 28, 2021. https://www.npr.org/sections/tokyo-olympics-live-updates/2021/07/28/1021713829/how-the-olympics-decide-what-sports-to-include
  • Trex, Ethan. “Tug of War Used to be an Olympic Sport.” Mental Floss. July 22, 2021. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55107/tug-war-used-be-olympic-sport
  • “Tug-of-War: London Police Challenge the Americans.” Evening Dispatch. July 21, 1908. https://www.newspapers.com/image/848724474/?match=1&terms=tug-of-war
  • “Tug-of-war, Men.” Olympedia. https://www.olympedia.org/results/21100
  • “Tug-Of-War at the 1912 Summer Olympics.” Olympedia. https://www.olympedia.org/editions/6/sports/TOW
  • “The World Anti-Doping Code.” WADA. https://www.wada-ama.org/en/what-we-do/world-anti-doping-code
  • Tikkanen, Amy. "6 Unusual Olympic Sports". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2016, https://www.britannica.com/list/5-unusual-olympic-sports
  • “Unfairness Alleged.” Champagne Daily Gazette. July 18, 1908. https://www.newspapers.com/image/668284214/?match=1&terms=tug-of-war
  • “Water Sports at Paris.” Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. July 8, 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/29022999/?match=1&terms=swimming%20obstacle%20race%20olympics
  • Wells, Charlotte. “WHAT WAS THE 200-METER OBSTACLE EVENT AT THE OLYMPICS?” SwimSwam. July 1, 2024. https://swimswam.com/what-was-the-200-meter-obstacle-event-at-the-olympics/
  • Wheeler, Kayla. “Plunge for distance: A look back at one of the weirdest Olympic events of all time.” KSDK St. Louis. July 29, 2021. https://www.ksdk.com/article/sports/olympics/1904-olympics/olympics-plunge-distance-st-louis-swimming-event/63-e047a725-3e3e-4a7c-923e-69c86ea4ed02

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