With the summer Olympics in Paris in full swing, I confess that I am a fan of the weird, strange, odd, unusual, peculiar, bizarre events. These games have no shortage of them.
Whether you’re sports averse or can get involved in any competition, this is my cheat sheet for the “niche-est” competitions in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
- Breaking (Break Dancing). Breakdancing was one of the coolest dance moves you could pull at a talent show when my kids were little. Some never stopped training, though, and in the Paris Olympics, those brave souls will be taking the stage for the first time ever.
- Ribbon Twirling or “Rhythmic Gymnastics.” Even the least sports literate amongst us have become gymnastics fans thanks to the prowess of Simone Biles. Essentially rhythmic gymnastics takes all the difficulty of normal gymnastics while adding dance, drama, music, hula hoops and plenty of whimsical twirling to the mix.
- Trampoline. The rules stipulate that competitors must bounce over 8 meters high while performing routines composed of ten elements. They’re scored on the difficulty of the move, the precision of the execution, and their total time in the air.
- Surfing. NBC crews will have no trouble making the backdrop for this year’s Olympic surf competition look stunning, 9,700 miles away in Tahiti. There, surfers will drop into a beautiful but terrifying wave called Teahupo’o, which loosely translates to “place of skulls.” Ya just can’t make this stuff up!
- Marathon Swimming. This takes place on the high seas. Unlike swimmers who play it safe in the pool, competitors need to navigate changing tides, currents, and potential wildlife, making it one of the most unpredictable competitions in the Olympics. Yep, sharks are on the table.
- Sport Climbing. This is indoor rock climbing, but at speed, sans harness.
Bravo to the Olympics for constantly adjusting, adapting, refusing to stay stagnant, and keeping us endlessly entertained.