The Olympics could be more fun with a few changes.
There’s no doubt that the Olympics are exciting: The best athletes in the world gather for two weeks to fight for the gold in some of the world’s oldest sports. Yet some of those sports have gotten a bit stale in recent centuries, and what’s wrong with spicing things up a little? These seven events would all add excitement to the Games, without resorting to high-octanesnowmobiles and jet skis.
1. Wingsuit Racing, with Jeb Corliss
We’ve shown you plenty of videos of the extreme sport that is wingsuit flying. Considering the sort of dudes and gals who are willing to jump out of a plane wearing only a suit designed like a flying squirrel, it was only a matter of time before they started racing each other to the ground. So why not let them do it for a spot on the podium? To lead the charge, there’s no one better than Jeb Corliss, the accomplished BASE jumper and wingsuiter, and former host of Discovery’sStunt Junkies. Corliss broke both his legs in a crash in January, but he should be ready for 2016.
Jeb Corliss prepares for flight. Photo: Axel Koester/Corbis
2. Jousting, with Charlie Andrews
Once hugely popular in Europe, jousting fell out of favor long before the establishment of the modern Olympics in 1896. Since then, it’s seen a small resurgence, led largely by Charlie Andrews, who co-founded the Ultimate Jousting Championship. If hard contact (boxing) and horses (various events) are already in use at the Olympics, why not add some lances to the mix and let Andrews, a former bull rider and Navy SEAL, join the American team?
Jousting could spice up the modern Games. Photo: Andrew Fox/Andrew Fox/Corbis
3. Rock Climbing, with Alex Honnold
This one’s no pipe dream: Climbing is on the short list of sports being considered for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Games. If it beats out the competition, the natural leader would be Alex Honnold, the 26-year-old Californian who has a number of speed records and first ascents to his name, many of them without a rope to save him from the risk of death by falling. It’s unlikely that Olympic climbing would take place on natural cliffs hundreds of feet high, Alex’s best terrain, but any American climbing team would be incomplete without him.
Alex Honnold, star rock climber. Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
4. Parkour, with Tim Shieff
Watching parkour masters flip, leap, roll and spin, one wonders what gymnasts do that they can’t. And considering how popular the urban sport has become, it makes perfect sense to add it to the program, and add a dash of the street to the indoor events. The Connecticut-born winner of the 2009 Barclaycard World Freerun Championship, Shieff goes by the nickname “Livewire,” and is an Olympian-in-waiting.
Tim Shieff in action. Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
5. Long-Distance Swimming, with Diana Nyad
Swimming is always a huge part of the Olympics (note Michael Phelps’ rocketing stardom), but what would happen if the athletes were dropped in the ocean and had to swim more than 100 miles, rather than a few hundred meters? They’d get a lot tougher. Sixty-two-year-old Diana Nyad has spent the last few years trying to swim from Cuba to Florida. The International Olympic Committee would have to deal with the poisonous jelly fish that have foiled her attempts, but surely they could think of something.
Diana Nyad shows off marks from a jellyfish attack. Photo: Michael Marreo/Florida Keys News Bureau via Getty Images
6. Chariot Racing
Chariot racing was a center piece of the Ancient Greek Olympics, but never made it into the Modern Games. But there are still events like horse jumping in today’s Olympiad, so what’s wrong with the idea of bringing it back? It’s fast-paced and exciting, and though it’s not widely practiced, there are still pockets where it’s kept alive. For an athlete to lead the charge, no one comes to mind. But if the sport is to grow and make it to the Olympics, someone must step up and stand out.
A chariot racing demonstration would be less fun than the real thing. Photo: Atlantide Phototravel/Corbis
7. Slamball, with Metta World Peace
There’s a trampoline event in the gymnastics program, so why not add one to the basketball? As all teenage boys know, Slamball, the full contact version of basketball on a court with four trampolines, is awesome (okay, and a bit silly). Of course, Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, is a basketball player (and a talented one at that). But his wild personality feels like a good fit for the sport. Considering that he was left off the 2012 Olympic roster, he may have some motivation to find a different way to get to the Games.