I have always loved watching the Olympics, but mostly for just a few sports. This year, rather surprisingly, I have found myself getting interested in a lot more – events like those at the velodrome and taekwondo, for example. Some still leave me cold, though.

 

Each year the Olympic Committee meets to decide which sports to drop and which to allow in for the next Games. Those for the chop, in my book, would include many of the horse-related events. In the modern world, what relevance is there in having three-day eventing and dressage, for example? How many around the world actually participate in such events, compared to those involved in the other sports?

 

Then, I never understood how or why synchronized swimming made it into the Olympics! This may well be a tough swim and I expect lots of guys drool over the glitzy gaudiness, the sequins, the make-up and false eyelashes of the Busby Berkeley routines. But what has this to do with the Olympics? It is surely far more akin to Broadway and Cirque du Soleil shows.

In the winter Olympics I would sweep out "curling".

Syncronised swimming for a start, then look at tennis with the professionals and the horse jumping and dressage.

I agree with most of the examples already mentioned.

 

Football is one I would get rid of. Some people have commented on the level of committment of professional footballers on enormous wages compared to the dedication and wholehearted endeavour of most Olympic athletes.

 

The Team GB football squad are a joke. The only bit of any of their games I saw was the penalty shootout against the Korean team. It was just pathetic to see an English footballer who plays for Chelsea FC completely muff his shot.

 

I like football (soccer) but it should stay in its natural home, the Football League, not try and muscle in to the Olympics. We have the World Cup and the European Championships instead.

Any sport where the Olympics is not taken seriously due to other more prestigious tournaments should be dropped. So that includes football & tennis for a start.

There seems to be no logic to including football. If it's due to popularity, why isn't the world's second most popular team sport included as well? (ie cricket). Obviously there's some more random process for selecting sports.

Any sport where the Olympics is not taken seriously due to other more prestigious tournaments should be dropped. So that includes football & tennis for a start

 

Despite the fact that most established sports have their own World Championships virtually every year, I basically agree. I cannot see the point in soccer being included at all, but especially when the men's teams can only involve players aged under 23, with just three older players permitted. Are there age restrictions in other Olympic sports?

 

I see that Golf and Rugby 7s are to be added for the Rio Olympics in 2016. Golf also makes no sense to me.

I cannot see the point in soccer being included at all, but especially when the men's teams can only involve players aged under 23, with just three older players permitted. Are there age restrictions in other Olympic sports?

I agree, this also makes no sense. However, at least there are some cute under 23 players to watch (South Korean team for example).

I have reservations about BMX bike racing. It looks quite exciting but I guess as they didn't have that kind of thing when I was a kid I look down on it a bit. Why not have all the great kiddy sports, like skateboarding or roller skating? OK, only kidding, I dislike skateboards (another thing I never got to do when I was a kid!) so wouldn't want to see them. But skating could be good. I assume the winter olympics have ice-skating events so why not roller-skates in the summer one?

 

 

I see that Golf and Rugby 7s are to be added for the Rio Olympics in 2016. Golf also makes no sense to me.

 

I must agree that adding golf makes no sense at all, just another bunch of millionaire professionals wanting to share in Olympic glory. I long for the days when the Olympics were for amateurs only but then I guess I am just old fashioned.

I would ban (not drop, ban) all sports that involve animals or engines. (Not only for the Olympics, which I have no interest in, but in general.)