Legends of Sports

It may seem odd to take arguably the most kinetic field event and limit it to a pedestrian pace, but back in the early games, all jumping events (long, triple, high) were also contested from a standing position. The event was in the Olympics between 1900 and 1912.

4. Rope Climb


Another sport with the chance of returning, the rope climb was actually part of the gymnastics program, and was contested sporadically between 1896 and 1932. At the 1904 Games, the event was won sensationally by American George Eyser, who competed with one wooden leg. Eyser went onto win five more gymnastics medals, including two more golds.


3. Dueling pistols


An aristocratic sport for men of bravery and honor, right? Well not when your opponent is a mannequin, as was during the 1906 ‘intercalated’ Games. Competitors took turns shooting at a mannequin dressed in fancy clothes from 20 and 30 meters. It returned to make a brief appearance at the 1912 games, before being banished forever (hopefully).


2. Solo Synchronized Swimming


Synchronized swimming already has a somewhat risible reputation at the Games, and its hard to understand the motive for introducing it into the Games, especially when it was preceded by solo synchronized swimming, which was contested during the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Games. A single woman would get into the pool and try to synchronize with the music being played. Yes, it really is as bad as it sounds.


1. Live Pigeon Shooting


Contested during the 1900 Games, this was the only time when animals were killed for sport during a modern Olympics. Over 300 pigeons were killed during the Games, many of them from the gun of Belgian Leon de Lunden who took Gold with 21 kills. Understandably, the sport was dropped from the program after the 1900 Games and eventually replaced with clay pigeon shooting.

See the rest of discontinued Olympic sports here