10 Events You Won’t Believe Were Actually In The Olympics At One Point

3. Distance Plunging

What is distance plunging? Well we’re glad you asked! Distance plunging involves the athlete (and we use that term lightly here, with all due respect) diving from a “stationary take-off.” After becoming fully-submerged in the water, the athlete is to glide face down in the water as far as they can, without using any propulsion from their body, arms, or legs. The end of the dive was after the athlete’s head would bob above water, or after 60 seconds (whichever came first). The event was included in the 1904 Summer Olympics, but was eventually removed after critics claimed it required no athletic ability. In fact, in his 1922 book “Swimming and Diving,” author Gerald Barnes said the competition was for “mere mountains of fat who fall in the water more or less successfully and depend upon inertia to get their points for them.” Harsh words!

2. Rope Climbing

Yes, the same event that was the source of nightmares for many of us in gym class was also at one point an Olympic Event. It began at the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece, in 1896, and eventually was taken off the program in 1932. Athletes were judged on speed and style, but one performance in particular was rather noteworthy. In 1904, U.S. gymnast George Eyser won the gold medal despite having a wooden leg!

1. Hot Air Ballooning

Those 1900 Olympics sure had a wide variety of events, including hot air ballooning. Considered a demonstration sport, the 1900 Games featured 61 men and 3 women competing. We’re not sure what the main goal was for this event, but we do know the competitors were judged on things like distance, duration, and elevation.

That concludes our list of former Olympic events. Which one (if any) would you like to see make a return to the Games? Let us know in the comments below!