Two activities I have been very involved with at different times have both in recent years been suggested as additions to the Olympic Games. With the 2016 Games upon us I have my four yearly angst over the nonsensical collection of events contested. What should the Olympics consist of? Let’s get one thing out of the way. I am not suggesting we go back to Corinthian amateurism. We are way beyond that – there are only two sports left where professionals are ineligible, and in the modern era we want to see the best competitors contesting at the highest level. So what should be included? First and foremost are events that demonstrate objective individual athletic achievement in a manifestly natural discipline: running faster, jumping further, leaping higher, throwing further. What about the specific varieties of these? Racing over 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m etc makes sense, especially when you know that individual athletes are never the best over a wide range of these. What a
Simon Dobson's occasional musings, invectives and miscellaneous nonsense