Rewind: Which sports are no longer part of the Olympics
The 2024 Paris Olympics features 32 sports. Over time, many sports/events have been removed from the Olympic program. Here's a look at some of the past events. The 1900 Paris Olympic Games introduced live pigeon shooting, a sport that was discontinued immediately after its debut. Competitors were tasked with killing as many live pigeons released into the air as possible. Nearly 300 pigeons met their end during the event, with Leon de Lunden of Belgium securing the gold medal.
Hot air ballooning
Hot air ballooning also made its debut at the 1900 Olympic Games as a demonstration sport. The competition lasted several months—with drivers competing in categories such as distance traveled, altitude reached, and best photograph taken from a balloon. French balloonist Henry de La Vaulx won the distance race by flying his balloon 1236km from Paris to Poland. Upon landing in what was then part of Russia, de La Vaulx was detained by Russian police for not submitting a passport request.
Tug-of-War
Tug-of-war was a featured sport in five Olympic Games from 1900 to 1920. The rules stipulated that an eight-man team had to pull their opponents six feet to secure victory. If this was not achieved within a set time, judges would extend the contest for five additional minutes before declaring the team with the most progress as winners. The sport faced controversy at the 1908 London Olympics when the British team was accused of wearing unusually heavy boots.
The plunge for distance
The plunge for distance event was part of the Olympics between 1904 and 1908. Athletes were required to dive into a pool from a standing position and glide underwater without moving their bodies. After 60 seconds or when competitors surfaced, referees measured the distance they had drifted. This unique sport tested athletes' ability to maintain momentum underwater after an initial dive, adding a different dimension to aquatic competitions in the early Olympics.
Running deer shooting
Running deer shooting was an Olympic sport from 1908 to 1924. No live deer were involved; competitors instead shot at a wooden deer mounted on a cart on rails. The target was positioned 100 meters away, and competitors had only four seconds to shoot as it moved along the track. At the age of 72, Sweden's Oscar Swahn won the silver medal in this event at the 1920 Olympic Games, becoming the oldest Olympic medalist.
