4 Odd Events That Appeared At The Olympics

Since the inception of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, this global sporting event has continuously evolved, introducing fresh and dynamic sports to its lineup. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, for example, saw the debut of skateboarding and climbing, while breaking (breakdancing) made its first appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, breaking’s Olympic journey will be short-lived, as the International Olympic Committee has announced it will not return for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Throughout Olympic history, numerous sports have been added, removed, and occasionally reinstated. Events like polo, golf, karate, tandem cycling, tug-of-war, tumbling, and rope climbing have all had their moment in the Olympic spotlight. Similarly, several unconventional events have made appearances at the Games, either as part of the official program or as demonstration sports. Here are some of the most unusual ones.

Australian B-girl Rachael Gunn takes part in breaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Angling

Angling made a one-time appearance at the 1900 Olympics in Paris, despite initial resistance from the organizers of the Exposition Universelle, under which the Games were held. The organizers had dismissed angling as not being a legitimate sport. However, strong support for its inclusion came from within the general committee, which included influential figures such as senators and former ministers Édouard Barbey and Pierre Baudin.

At that time, France boasted over 330 active fishing societies with more than a million members, primarily from the working class. On February 17, 1900, Le Gymnaste emphasized that unlike other sports, angling was “accessible to all classes of society and to all individuals.” Guadeloupe deputy Gaston Gerville-Réache argued that fishing would enable the working class to participate directly in the sporting competitions.

A Jury member, wearing a top hat, is noting in his notebook the catch of a contestant. August 19, 1900. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

There were also economic and ecological arguments in favor of angling. The competitions were viewed as a way to encourage the improvement of French waterways, with organizers insisting that the rivers be restocked to provide the poorest communities with an additional source of income or a boost to their diet through increased protein intake.

Ultimately, the organizers of the Exposition Universelle relented, and angling was included among the Olympic contests.

Approximately 600 men and women participated in the angling competitions, with the vast majority being French. Only 40 competitors hailed from five other countries—Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

The competitions were held on the Seine, but the river was nearly devoid of fish at the time. To make matters worse, just before the event, a sewer leak at the Pont de la Concorde caused severe pollution, killing over 30 tons of fish in the river. The organizing committee further restricted the event by prohibiting the catching of salmon and specifying that only small fish like carp and mullet would count. This led La Pêche moderne to humorously suggest that participants should have brought their own fish.

Ultimately, the Parisian fishermen, with their intimate knowledge of the local waterways, dominated the competition and claimed all the medals.

A team of anglers for the Paris 1900 Olympic Games. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Art Competitions

Art competitions were once part of the modern Olympic Games from 1912 to 1948. Medals were awarded for artistic works inspired by sports, with categories including architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture.

The inclusion of art in the Olympics was originally envisioned by the founder of the Olympic Movement, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Art competitions were planned for the 1908 Summer Olympics in Italy, but the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906 forced the Games to be relocated to London. Due to the hasty relocation and limited preparation time, the art competitions were canceled, as organizers believed artists wouldn't have sufficient time to submit their works.

The first Olympic art competitions were eventually held at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, though participation was modest, with only 35 artists contributing.

Luxembourg artist Jean Jacoby won the gold medal in 1924 for the triptych titled Étude de Sport, (which included Corner, Départ, and Rugby, pictured above). Jean Jacoby won gold again in 1928.

It wasn’t until the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris that interest in the art competitions saw a significant increase, with 193 artists submitting their works. This number surged to over 1,100 submissions at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, not including entries in literature, music, and architecture. The 1932 Los Angeles Olympics saw a similar level of participation, though by 1948, the number of submissions had declined.

In 1949, a report to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) highlighted that all participants in the art competitions were professionals, which conflicted with the Olympic Games' amateur-only policy. After much debate, the organizers of the 1952 Helsinki Olympics decided to replace the art competitions with an art exhibition, marking the end of this unique Olympic tradition.

Pigeon Racing

At the 1900 Paris Olympics, six pigeon racing competitions took place, officially known as lâcher-concours de pigeons-voyageurs (homing pigeon release competition). The event involved participants releasing hundreds of pigeons from locations as far as 500 kilometers from the destination. The competition was limited to French companies based at least 80 kilometers from Paris, with each company required to enter a minimum of one hundred pigeons. In total, 47 companies participated, releasing a combined 7,721 pigeons. Unlike other events, there was no single winner; instead, each participating company received a share of the prize money, distributed based on the number of pigeons entered.

In addition to the races, there were also “homing pigeon release spectacles,” where thousands of pigeons were released simultaneously for the enjoyment of the audience.

Plunge For Distance

Plunge for distance was a curious diving event where participants would dive from a short platform and glide through the water without any physical exertion. The goal was to cover the longest distance possible within 60 seconds, without using any propulsion. Competitors were strictly prohibited from moving their arms, legs, or torso. Popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this event made its way into the 1904 Summer Olympics. However, it attracted only five participants, with William Dickey of the USA winning the gold medal by gliding 62 feet 6 inches—a distance that remains the Olympic record.

A diver taking part in plunging for distance.

Plunge for distance was often criticized for its lack of athleticism, with some describing it as one of the oddest and most boring Olympic sports. Gerald Barnes, writing in Swimming and Diving, mocked the event, suggesting that it favored "mountains of fat who fall in the water more or less successfully and depend upon inertia to get their points for them." An example often cited was Frank Parrington, the world record holder at 86 feet 8 inches, described as a "big man with a big chest and a bit of a belly" who worked as a police sergeant in Liverpool.

In 1930, sportswriter John Kieran quipped in the New York Times: "The stylish-stout chaps who go in for this strenuous event merely throw themselves heavily in the water and float along like icebergs in the ship lanes."

Even British journalist Archibald Sinclair, who was more sympathetic to the sport, admitted that it struggled to capture the audience's interest. He noted that after 30 or 40 feet, the diver "moves at a pace somewhat akin to a snail," making the contests appear to the uninitiated as "absolute wastes of time."

Ultimately, plunge for distance was dropped from the Olympics and never reinstated. It gradually faded from the amateur and collegiate sporting events in the USA and the UK, eventually becoming nearly extinct due to its perceived lack of challenge.