The Olympic Games – London 2012, and beyond

(Originally written in 2012)

I watched some of the Games from my home in Brazil, though my choice was limited mainly to events that had Brazilian participation, despite SKY providing 7 channels that showed the Games (though some were duplicates of others). I did enjoy what I watched, but for the life of me cannot understand why some events still form part of the modern Olympics??

Come on – let us get rid of these non-sports! (I realise that I am risking the ire of aficionados, but are they really relevant as Olympic sports?)

Trampolining

Synchronised swimming

Synchronised diving

Rhythmic gymnastics

Dressage (what is the point of this?)

I do also have my doubts about the merits of Beach Volleyball (why not also Beach Football, Beach Cricket, Frisbee throwing?), but the girls in bikinis (sadly absent much of the time in London) almost make it worth watching! It appears to consist of service, return with smash – point scored, 1-nil, change of service – and this is repeated until the set is over. I am sure that the majority of the spectators are just there for the skimpy outfits (both male and female) and the cheerleaders!

If we need new events – why not Cross-Country running, which is about as serious a sport as you can get, and how about a military-style obstacle course, a real test of stamina and ability?

I would like to add my congratulations to all the participants though, especially the GB team and their wonderful medal haul – I salute you all for the dedication and hard work you all put in to achieve your dreams of taking part in the Olympic Games.

The 2016 Games are being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and already there are suggestions that some of the venues won't be ready in time, complaints about the cost to the taxpayer for stadia that won't be used afterwards (like some built for the 2014 World Cup throughout Brazil!), but most worrying are the concerns about the state of the water offshore where the sailing events will take place, and where millions of litres of untreated sewage are pumped in daily!

I note that my "non-sports" listed above are still there, but are being joined by Golf (what?), Rugby 7's (why not full Rugby?), and windsurfing is being replaced by Kitesurfing. The mind boggles!