AHC:Alternate Olympic Sports.

[naraht]

With a POD after 1900, pick a sport not currently in the Olympics (or one which has been dropped) and explain why it is in the 2012 Olympics. For example, a Nazi victory might make one of the Exhibition sports in the 1936 Olympics (Art, Baseball, or Gliding) permanent.

[mowque]

I can see Tug Of War staying in, if they can establish a good set of rules and get some more non-Olympic stability for the sport.

[MattII]

Lacrosse, inline skating, and I'd have said climbing as well, but that's already been shortlisted for 2020. Overall though I'm not in favour of games including actual games, I mean seriously, aren't soccer/football has its own world-cup, does it really need to be included? As for table-tennis...

[Krall]

Jousting. Because it's awesome.

[Zulufoxtrot]

Chariot Racing to honor the Greek Roots of the Olympic Games.

[Alex1guy]

Gladiators!

[MattII]

Originally Posted by Zulufoxtrot

Chariot Racing to honor the Greek Roots of the Olympic Games.

Harness racing anyway, I think WSPA would have a fit over actual chariot racing.

[d32123]

Without the Iraq War, baseball may have very well stayed an Olympic sport.

[Desmond Hume]

One that will be an Olympic sport in 2016 but probably should have been one much sooner is rugby. Does anyone know why it was left out of the Olympics for so long? It's played in so many countries it seems like a natural fit...

Originally Posted by MattII

Lacrosse, inline skating, and I'd have said climbing as well, but that's already been shortlisted for 2020. Overall though I'm not in favour of games including actual games, I mean seriously, aren't soccer/football has its own world-cup, does it really need to be included? As for table-tennis...

Isn't lacrosse only really played in the US and Canada? Besides, it seems a little too much like field hockey, which is a long-established Olympic sport.

Originally Posted by Alex1guy

Gladiators!

May the odds be ever in your favor, Olympians!

[Daaharu]

Cracked.com had an article about this earlier today.

http://www.cracked.com/article_19951...-olympics.html

The most likely to make it in of the five they mentioned is probably equestrian vaulting, which was included in the 1920 Olympic Games.

[Premier Taylerov]

I also thought that the cultural events found in the ancient Olympics could be restored effectively to the modern competition. Maybe in the wake of post-war reconstruction city planning could be introduced for the London Games in 1948? Sculpture could be rather nice, as well.

[Zulufoxtrot]

Originally Posted by MattII

Harness racing anyway, I think WSPA would have a fit over actual chariot racing.

okay we'll compromise and have motorcycles pull them. That'll also help to show how Chariot Racing has been modernized.

[Mike Stearns]

Not a sport, per say but art

[Custard Cream Monster]

Reportedly there were attempts at rugby in 1980 (supported by the USSR) and 1988 (supported. Let's say that rugby is more popular in the USSR and Soviet bloc*, they launch the campaign in the mid 70s. During the US led boycotted games in 1980 Rugby sevens is a demonstration sport, with Romania beating the USSR at the men's final. After the demonstration event in Moscow it gets approved for 1988. No idea of what could happen in 1984 in LA - possibly another demonstration tournament, maybe with France beating the USA in the final. Then it becomes a medal event in '88.

*I had a mini-idea for a TL involving rugby union being big in the USSR and it's sphere of influence, with PODs possibly involving nasty football hooliganism in the USSR (unsure how to handwave in) leading to the league being suspended for a few months, Che getting Castro in to it and a Soviet ambassador having a few too many pints of Brains SA dealing in Wales, but that seems a bit tenuous.

EDIT : Also, funnily motorcycles were mentioned, in 1900 or so wasn't motorsport a medal event? That would be interesting ...

[Lemon flavoured]

Wasn't cricket played once at the Olympics? Without 20Twenty though I'm not sure how you can keep it an Olympic sport too long. I'd definitely like to see Twenty20 cricket in 2020 though.

[Matt Wiser]

Baseball and Softball: dropped for petty anti-American reasons (or so sportswriters here have said on numerous times-not to mention angry softball players) by the IOC. Officially, the sports are "too American" and the U.S. consistenly ran away with the Softball gold medal (won 3 of 4-Japan won the Beijing gold). One other reason-and no offense to any European readers-this is just what a number of sportswriters for outlets like ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and several major U.S. Newspapers have said-the IOC is too Euro-Centric: half of their members are from Europe; and they seem to think that if a sport's not popular in Europe, then it doesn't belong in the Olympics. Again, that's what a number of sportswriters on this side of the Pond have said-repeatedly.

[Hipsterredneck556]

I've always thought that something like IPSC or 3-gun competition would be interesting in the Olympic arena. A nice combination of athletics and accuracy. A bit more exciting than the present shooting sports too.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Hipsterredneck556

I've always thought that something like IPSC or 3-gun competition would be interesting in the Olympic arena. A nice combination of athletics and accuracy. A bit more exciting than the present shooting sports too.

Not sure what those are, but I've always thought that some sort of summer equivalent to biathalon ought to be included, either running between or bicycling between.

[Hipsterredneck556]

Originally Posted by naraht

Not sure what those are, but I've always thought that some sort of summer equivalent to biathalon ought to be included, either running between or bicycling between.

IPSC is the International Practical Shooting Confederation. Their matches typically involve an individual running around a course shooting at targets with a handgun. Scoring is based off accuracy and time. 3-gun is very similar to IPSC, except the the targets are often at longer ranges. Also, a 3-gun match requires the competitor to use 3 different firearms, usually a rifle, shotgun, and pistol. The competitor is then forced to switch weapons throughout the course.

Both IPSC and 3-gun involve a lot of physical activity, so they could possibly be turned into some sort of summer biathlon. Alot of tweaking would have to be made to make both of these sports more internationally friendly, although IPSC does have something of a following outside of the United States.

[GrandpaTanaka]

I was going to say more Freestyle Skiing events for the winter, but it looks like Half-pipe and Slopestyle are being added for '14. How about "Streetstyle" or something where they hit rails and other urban features. (Some of my friends do this, so I may be delusional about how popular it is, but I know it at least has a following in US, Canada, France, Switzerland)