Unusual sports are cropping up all of the time. You only have to visit a sportsbook like GGBet to see the amount of niche sports you can bet on these days. From surfing, to water polo, sumo wrestling through to aussie rules football, unique sports are all around us.
And the Olympics tries its best to embrace them all. That’s because the Olympics is known for its diversity and inclusion. So what could be next to break through and rise from a niche sport to a mainstream one? Before we discuss that, let’s take a look back at some sports that have come through in the past.
A Look Back at Unique Sports in the Olympics
The Olympic games embrace the weird and the wonderful and that’s why it appeals to a wider audience as there is usually something for everyone. The first sporting event we are going to look at is from the Paris Olympics. No, not the 2024 ones, we’re going all the way back to 1900.
If we told you it was a variation of the long jump and high jump, you would probably think that’s not so unique. But what about if we told you it involved horses! That’s right, the horse long jump and high jump! The event never took off (pardon the pun) and was never seen again. A bit like break dancing from the last Paris Olympics!
Another unusual ‘sport’ which actually had some success at the Olympics was art! Yes, that isn’t a typing error. Art featured an Olympic event from the 1912 Stockholm Games to the 1948 London Games. Unfortunately, it wasn’t some extreme version of art where athletes had to run a thousand meters with a canvas while painting. This was art in the literal sense. The only thing sporting about this was that the artwork had to be inspired by art.
Here’s a few more unusual sports to add to the list:
- Tug of War
- Rope Climbing
- Motor Boat Racing
- Croquet
- Firefighting
- Hot Air Balloon Racing
What’s Next at the Olympics?
Many sports have submitted proposals to the Olympic committee in recent times but which ones will be the next to be included? Here are a few that could make things interesting.
Darts
The first sport we’re going to look at is darts. Darts has been trying to get in the Olympics for quite some time now but unfortunately they haven’t managed to break through yet. It’s still very much seen as a ‘pub’ sport which is probably why it’s never featured.
However, it’s now a multi-million dollar sport, viewed all over the world. And with stars like Luke Littler breaking through at the tender age of just 16, perhaps the ‘pub’ sport label may finally be removed.
For Darts to be included at the Olympics it would have to be when a host country that embraces the sport is at the helm. Looking at the upcoming schedule, we believe Brisbane 2032 is probably its best chance at inclusion.
Flag Football
Flag football is a variation of American Football which involves a lot less contact. The rules are virtually the same as the ones we see in the NFL, however, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team has to remove a flag from the opposing players belt.
Flag football is set to feature in the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It is one of five new or returning sports to feature in LA. The other four include Baseball, Cricket, Lacrosse and Squash.
eSports
As the world becomes more technological, it’s only right our sports follow suit. eSports have been around for years now and they are rising in popularity. There are more and more professional players each year and the prize pools are reaching astronomical amounts.
While it tests our skill, vision and dexterity, there are many that believe that it’s not ‘athletic’ enough to feature in the Olympics. However, you could say the same for many sports in the Olympics such as archery or pistol shooting. The IOC are monitoring the world of eSports and it may have an outside chance of featuring in 2032.
It’s Not Unusual to be Unusual
In today’s diverse world, it’s hard to define what is and what isn’t unusual. So we probably shouldn’t be too surprised by the list above of sports that could soon feature in the Olympic games.