IOC is in meeting - some sports may be dropped

[CantSmashThis]

I would drop beach volleyball. The truely competitive version of volleyball is already there. I don't think a typical leisure sport should occupy another slot.

I think most men would agree that women in bikinis should not be taken out of the Olympics.

One criteria about how many different countries medal is a downfall of badminton. As shown, China dominated the Gold in 2012. Hopefully CHN doesn't end up overtaking the sport and I believe Badminton will be in the Olympics for a long time.

[HappySachs]

As much as I love all those (gold) medals, baseball is a more deserving sport than field hockey to be included (still, surprised they were on the final list).

I'm suprised to see you write that, I'd assumed that field hockey was far more widely played than baseball? I assume that similar to basketball the US would dominate Baseball with their best players trying to dodge the competition harder than if it were a drugs test

Taekwondo is only in because Karate wasn't organized back when, having multiple federations iirc. Seeing as Taekwondo still hasn't been dropped (), as good as no chance for Karate.
As obvious a choice as Modern Pentathlon is, can you really drop the sport invented for the modern Olympics by the man himself . If anything each NOC should be forced to send an entry for it .

A compelling sentimental argument...the sports still naff and random though

I would drop a few other 'sports' ahead of it, but of those in the list it was my first choice.

Wrestling a surprise up for elimination sport for me as well, didn't see that coming although perhaps those more involved might have. Don't think there are any professional Olympic wrestlers, hope you are not thinking of WWE .

hah, yeh, probably should have said 'top level' wrestlers rather than professional.

I think Golf and Rugby 7's are a one off for Rio, with 28 sports there and back down to only 26 in 2020.

I've no objection to Rugby 7's sticking around, that's one seriously tough sport.

I think Squash should be in if table tennis was dropped, seeing as that isn't the case i'd be surprised they will make it and if the Games go to Tokyo, I'm sure the Japanese will be strongly lobbying for Baseball (although those decision are made/announced at the same meeting).
Personally I'd like to see Roller Sports included (but Squash as well) ...

I'd rather see Squash replace Tennis, for years the Tennis event was dodged by the top players. An Olympic gold is still rated lower than a Grand Slam Title.

Roller Sports?!...really...

[CantSmashThis]

Well, the US certainly aren't dominating the World Baseball Classics. Then again not all the top players play it.

[CantSmashThis]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympic...201325406.html

"
Forget arguing the various strengths and weaknesses of each sport. That's often a cultural opinion. This is a global event and tastes vary. In the United States, badminton is considered a joke, something played at backyard barbeques, even occasionally while sober. In the overcrowded cities of third-world countries, however, it's a way to play tennis – basically street tennis for the non-wealthy. They don't have a lot of All-Lawn Tennis Clubs in Malaysia. Millions take badminton seriously and consider watching it at the highest level a sight to behold.
And that's part of why badminton is a fine Olympic sport.
Badminton also plays to another Olympic strength – winning the gold medal is a huge deal to those athletes, the pinnacle for most. So is winning a gold medal in modern pentathlon. Same for wrestling. "

[Borbor]

I'd rather see Squash replace Tennis, for years the Tennis event was dodged by the top players. An Olympic gold is still rated lower than a Grand Slam Title.

Roller Sports?!...really...

i bet if you asked Andy Murray, he'd tell you that the gold medal meant a lot. Not because of winning on home turf, but finally having beat a legend when it counts the most.

I doubt w/o that gold, he'd win the US Open after what happened at Wimbledon

[Accordaz]

i bet if you asked Andy Murray, he'd tell you that the gold medal meant a lot. Not because of winning on home turf, but finally having beat a legend when it counts the most.

I doubt w/o that gold, he'd win the US Open after what happened at Wimbledon

Yeah, but it means to him a lot because he has beaten Roger Federer. The achievement was Gold in Olympics. And I doubt that the top players care that much about getting a gold medal in Olympics or not. It's rather "nice to have".
If it would be a "must have" or the highest achievement you can get like in many other disciplines, Roger Federer definitively wouldn't take it the final defeat easy. But he did. Of course because he is a very kind person, but on the other hands, it was really not that important. If it would have been a really must have achievement to Roger, he would haved cried like Lee Chong Wei or any other silver medalists.

[demolidor]

I'm suprised to see you write that, I'd assumed that field hockey was far more widely played than baseball? I assume that similar to basketball the US would dominate Baseball with their best players trying to dodge the competition harder than if it were a drugs test

A compelling sentimental argument...the sports still naff and random though

I would drop a few other 'sports' ahead of it, but of those in the list it was my first choice.

hah, yeh, probably should have said 'top level' wrestlers rather than professional.

I've no objection to Rugby 7's sticking around, that's one seriously tough sport.

I'd rather see Squash replace Tennis, for years the Tennis event was dodged by the top players. An Olympic gold is still rated lower than a Grand Slam Title.

Roller Sports?!...really...

"Roller Sports" is Inline Skating more or less and it's pretty spectacular (and demanding) . Certainly more widely practiced than speedskating on ice.
Forgot about Tennis yes, wrote about it in the past as a sport that shouldn't be there as well as Football (the glorified youth tournament that the Olympics is). I guess that's two spots for Baseball and Squash already (but they don't bring in the $$$ which is what it's all about these days). Drug testing could use a serious overhaul for sure but Cycling hasn't even been put in position of the chopping block. I do think that was one of the factors in cutting it last time (baseball).

Baseball is a much bigger sport than field hockey. I don't think there has even been a field hockey millionaire so far. Baseball is the national sport in a lot of Central America and Venezuela, Japan, Taiwan, arguably Korea. I think 8 countries in the world play something close to competitive field hockey (Netherlands, England, Australia, NZ, Spain, Germany, Argentina, South Korea and of late Belgium. I guess China Women's team shouldn't be left out and probably only exists because it is another Olympic medal to be grabbed )
On a national league level maybe only the Japanese league comes remotely close to the MLB so in those terms there is a big gap but a lot of foreign players play in the MLB, similar to NBA and NHL. World Baseball Classic is a good reflection of this usually ...

[craigandy]

In the overcrowded cities of third-world countries, however, it's a way to play tennis – basically street tennis for the non-wealthy.

Really? For a sport developed by the upper middle class of England who could well afford to play tennis, i doubt this can be correct. Any source on this, sounds interesting.

[SigH-Max]

Really? For a sport developed by the upper middle class of England who could well afford to play tennis, i doubt this can be correct. Any source on this, sounds interesting.

There is no source, this comes from the imagination of the journalist

[HappySachs]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympic...201325406.html

"
In the overcrowded cities of third-world countries, however, it's a way to play tennis – basically street tennis for the non-wealthy. They don't have a lot of All-Lawn Tennis Clubs in Malaysia. Millions take badminton seriously and consider watching it at the highest level a sight to behold.
"

Wow, that's kinda offensive, so Badminton is a sport for people and countries too poor to afford Tennis...

[HappySachs]

"Roller Sports" is Inline Skating more or less and it's pretty spectacular (and demanding) . Certainly more widely practiced than speedskating on ice.
Forgot about Tennis yes, wrote about it in the past as a sport that shouldn't be there as well as Football (the glorified youth tournament that the Olympics is). I guess that's two spots for Baseball and Squash already (but they don't bring in the $$$ which is what it's all about these days). Drug testing could use a serious overhaul for sure but Cycling hasn't even been put in position of the chopping block. I do think that was one of the factors in cutting it last time (baseball).

Cycling has been using the biological passport system for a while now (google tells me 2008), so it has made very firm steps to tackle its drugs problem. Since the revelations of the BALCO scandal has baseball made any comparable steps to clean up its image - that's a serious question as it's not a sport I follow?

Baseball is a much bigger sport than field hockey. I don't think there has even been a field hockey millionaire so far. Baseball is the national sport in a lot of Central America and Venezuela, Japan, Taiwan, arguably Korea. I think 8 countries in the world play something close to competitive field hockey (Netherlands, England, Australia, NZ, Spain, Germany, Argentina, South Korea and of late Belgium. I guess China Women's team shouldn't be left out and probably only exists because it is another Olympic medal to be grabbed )
On a national league level maybe only the Japanese league comes remotely close to the MLB so in those terms there is a big gap but a lot of foreign players play in the MLB, similar to NBA and NHL. World Baseball Classic is a good reflection of this usually ...

With regards to hockey you forgot India, the most successful hockey team in olympic history. I guess Pakistan warrant a mention too. (so chuck another billion people on the who plays hockey pile then )

As for baseball, it's popularity and professionalism seems to be more widespread than I was aware of, and I would have no objections for it's inclusion from a sporting point of view. This might be an ill informed opinion but I'd still be worried about the top players trying to dodge the olympic competition, which would devalue it.

On a more light hearted note, I was once told that; 'the hardest thing about roller blading is telling your parents your gay' . Joking aside, it does look like speed skating in the Winter Olympics, I wonder if the skills are transferrable?

VIDEO

Nice carpark

[kwun]

Nice carpark

i always wonder if they can hold it in a velodrome designed for bicycles. then no more coasting around the corner, pure speed.

[HappySachs]

i always wonder if they can hold it in a velodrome designed for bicycles. then no more coasting around the corner, pure speed.

I reckon they could hold events on each of the cycling circuits; velodrome, road and bmx track. Although that last one might be too dangerous.

In the velodrome they could use the Keirin bike and do something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGwE-uDao7Q

[demolidor]

I reckon they could hold events on each of the cycling circuits; velodrome, road and bmx track. Although that last one might be too dangerous.

In the velodrome they could use the Keirin bike and do something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGwE-uDao7Q

(but there are far longer distances as well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inline_...Olympic_status). I think the speed on the velodrome would be dangerously high ...



I actually came back to say I forgot about India and Pakistan completely (and perhaps South Africa to some extent). There was a piece about the Indian Premier League on tv here yesterday, or more precisely on one of the Dutch players who by chance was won at auction by one of the teams when he was on holiday in India (similar to the badminton premier league there, etc.). Worth $31,000 annually for a duration of 3 years but he was talking about trying to get only a month off from work next year so maybe only there for the playoffs? (missed the beginning). They just became league champions in India btw with his new team .
Still the level there has dropped considerably and they seem to be at least trying to inject new life into it in India ...

Still, I think baseball is the bigger sport although in IOC terms you might perhaps say field hockey is the growing participation sport and baseball on the decline ...

[Justin L]

Heard that the verdict is out. Wrestling is the one that got kicked out of the 2020 Summer Olympics. Badminton is safe, in; so is Table-Tennis.

[CantSmashThis]

Mens' Soccer needs to be axed. I assume not many people watch Mens' Soccer at the Olympics. It's not as interesting as the World Cup (the way FIFA intended). A U23 match? Just cut the age by 4 years and throw it in the youth Olympics.

[demolidor]

Mens' Soccer needs to be axed. I assume not many people watch Mens' Soccer at the Olympics. It's not as interesting as the World Cup (the way FIFA intended). A U23 match? Just cut the age by 4 years and throw it in the youth Olympics.

It should be cut but cutting it doesn't open up an extra spot or anything (not if you don't cut women's soccer as well). And it is a revenue generator which probably benefits the small sports through all kinds of programs through IOC ... and it's soccer. If it's on, people will watch it when it comes to international matches (also it's U23 + 3 who could be Messi, Tevez and Aguero for example).