At the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, anyone who showed up on the day of competition would have an opportunity to compete.

And as for what events they would compete in? The classical Olympics were more than sporting events: they included poetry readings, debates, art, theatre, diplomatic meetings between sworn enemies. And Pierre de Coubertin wanted all of this in the modern Games.

This created an argument which, in some respects, carries on today: What constitutes an official Olympic Event? And that’s what we’re exploring in this first of two Olympic episodes on My Dark Path.  These are the unusual, the forgotten and the absurd events run at the modern Games. Let’s see how deep we can dive – by the way, seeing how deep you could dive was one of the events…

Listen to Learn More About:

• Forgotten Sporting events like rope climbing, tug of war, croquet, and angling
• Forgotten Olympic art competitions like architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture
• Father of the modern Olympics Pierre de Coubertin 
• Successful amateur Olympic competitor Spyridon Louis 

READINGS AND ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:

“9 Really Strange Sports That Are No Longer In The Olympics” (TIME)

“Going For The Gold” When Town Planning Was An Olympic Competition”

“Live Pigeon Shooting and Other Odd Olympic Games” (NPR)

“Live Pigeon Shootng” (Top End Sports)

“Pigeon Racing in 1900” (Top End Sports)

“Plunge for Distance” (Wikipedia)

“Plunge for Distance, Tug of War: The Olympics’ Sad History of  Defunct Medal Ev

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