While the Summer Olympic games have just ended, we are still reeling from the unexpected entertainment.
After two weeks of captivating television, from the high-flying women’s gymnastics to the quieter archery events, viewers can’t get enough of the drama and heartwarming surprises.
We witnessed Katie Ledecky’s record triumph with nine gold medals and Caleb Dressel’s heartbreak due to missing an event final. These are just a few examples of the emotional rollercoaster athletes experience.
But the athletes weren’t the only ones experiencing all kinds of emotion. With front-row seats, television viewers were given quite a ride by being introduced to a platform of new sports they didn’t know existed and watching events they could never have predicted. Given this, I wouldn’t be surprised if fans and organizers started encouraging the addition of new and unheard-of sports.
My most significant discovery was watching handball. Although handball has been an Olympic sport for men since 1972 and women since 1976, I only recently realized it is an Olympic sport.
Biggest Discovery
The Summer Olympics often showcase under-the-radar sports that we knew existed but were only somewhat inspired to watch. Handball is one of those sports. It is a fast-paced team sport played indoors, combining elements of soccer, basketball and hockey.
The goal is to score points by throwing or hitting an inflated ball into the opposing team’s goal at either end of a rectangular court. It sounds like playing soccer by throwing the ball instead of kicking it. It combines with the intensity of both baseball and hockey. The team with the most goals wins at the end of two 30-minute halves.
Biggest Surprise
The most surprising twist of the Olympics had to be the sudden rise of men’s gymnastics. Even the most seasoned gymnastic enthusiasts could never have predicted the rapid rise of Stephen Nedoroscik, a pommel horse specialist.
Nedoroscik’s road to the Olympic team was not without controversy. Because Nedoroscik is a one-event specialist, his selection took the spot of a teammate who could potentially contribute to all six events.
The “Clark Kent” of the games has a spotty history on the event, and his success has not always been guaranteed (his World Championship gold medal in 2021 was overshadowed by inconsistency in his 2022 routine and he was left off the 2023 World Championship team). But the USA Gymnastics’ Selection Team had faith in him, took a gamble and added him, making men’s gymnastics history.
Suggested Addition
If there’s one sport that has never seen the Olympic spotlight, it is parkour. Many parkour fans were surprised when it wasn’t included in Paris, mainly since it was founded in the City of Lights. Parkour is a sport of rushing through an area, typically in an urban environment, navigating obstacles by running, jumping, climbing, rolling or vaulting in the most efficient way possible.
Those who practice the sport are known as “traceurs,” who freerun through a cement landscape, often accompanying their moves with acrobatics. It’s considered an extreme sport, and it could easily be grouped with other extreme sports like skateboarding or break dancing (also known as breaking).
It’s a high-risk, high-reward sport, and, given what we’ve seen these last two weeks, it’s a guaranteed audience pleaser.