Events you won't see in Athens 2004
Since the beginning of the modern Games, events have been added and dropped from year to year. Here are some events from the early Games that haven't been seen for quite a while.
1900 - Paris
Pigeon shooting. No clay pigeons these. Contestants were eliminated when they missed two birds. Nearly 300 pigeons were also eliminated.
200-meter obstacle race. This race required swimmers to alternately swim under and climb over a row of boats.
Underwater swimming sounds simple enough. Contestants received points for distance and for time underwater.
Croquet was so unpopular only one spectator paid to watch the competition.
Source: "The Olympics' Most Wanted." By Floyd Conner.
1904 - St. Louis
The ignominious anthropology days was a competition between "primitives" from around the world and included mud fighting and a greased pole climb.
Plunge for distance, a one-minute underwater swim, began with a dive.
1896-1932
Rope climbing. That's right. Your high school gym class might have been good for something. But hold on tight, the Olympic rope was much longer, measuring 14 meters.
CONTENTS
- Politics and the Games
- Ten unforgettable Olympic moments
- Events you won't see in 2004
- Ancient holdovers
- Olympic host cities
- US TV Schedule
- For more information
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Aug. 26, 2004