The 33rd Summer Olympics will be held in Paris and 16 other French towns from July 26 to August 11.
The Summer Games have a long history and have included a wide range of sports, each of which brings something unique to the international competition. There have been ten sports that have vanished from the Olympic programme since the first modern Games in 1896.
Ten Olympic sports from the past are listed below that are no longer part of the current Games:
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The only time cricket was featured at the Olympic Games was in 1900 in Paris, where Great Britain and France played a two-day Test match. The Devon and Somerset Wanderers club from Great Britain, led by Captain Charles Beachcroft, won, marking a brief but unforgettable period in Olympic cricket history. With more than 2.5 billion followers worldwide, cricket is the second most-watched sport in the world. It is a British sport. Cricket has a huge following base, although it is not included in the Olympic Games.
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A diving competition known as "Plunge for Distance" was a feature of the Summer Olympics' 1904 diving schedule. The tournament took place on September 5, 1904, a Monday. It was the first time that the Olympics had included diving competitions. There were five competitors among the divers. William Dickey's 19.2-meter gold-winning dive is still a tribute to the audacious nature of the first Olympic sports.
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After receiving full medal status for water motorsports at the London Olympics in 1908, the International Olympic Committee quickly ended the event. The only Summer Games to include motorised sports were those in 1900 and 1908. Three water racing events were staged in one year when motorised powerboats were allowed to compete in the Olympics. The only participating countries were France and Great Britain, with the former taking home two victories.
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From 1900 to 1920, tug of war was a team sport that was competed in the Summer Olympics at every Olympiad. Clubs were the first organisations that join the tournament. A nation may enter more than one club in the competition, increasing the possibility of several medals being won by the same nation. This occurred in 1904 when the United States took home all three medals, and again in 1908 when three British teams shared the podium. However, this sport vanished from Olympic memory following its final appearance in the 1920 Games, leaving only memories of fierce rivalry and friendship.
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There was a Basque pelota competition at the 1900 Summer Olympics. There were only two teams who entered: one from France and one from Spain. However, on the day of the single event, Maurice Durquetty and Etchegaray's French team withdrew owing to a disagreement over the regulations. Despite subsequent demonstrations, the fact that it isn't a part of the current Olympics illustrates how the popularity of sports fluctuates across the world.
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Olympic artistic gymnastics competitions included rope climbing. Only four times was it held: in 1896, in 1904, in 1924, and 1932. Rope climbing was a competition in Olympic gymnastics from 1896 to 1932, and it required extraordinary physical strength and dexterity. Its equipment and rules have changed throughout time, reflecting the changing character of Olympic sports.
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There were three competitions for croquet at the Summer Olympics in 1900. There were three ladies and seven guys present. Though it's unclear if the French duo who won had any opposition, the doubles competition was planned first. The following week was dedicated to one-ball singles, and the week after that to two-ball singles. As a result, France, who provided all ten athletes, took home every medal. It's one Olympic participation, nevertheless, highlights how sports within the Games have evolved selectively.
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There have been two Summer Olympic Games lacrosse competitions: in 1904 and 1908. In both cases, the competition was won by a Canadian team. Canada's dominance in this sport has left a high standard behind. It was also a demonstration event at the Summer Olympics in 1928, 1932, and 1948, and it will be a part of the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
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At the 1900 Games, polo was included in the Olympic Summer Games. After the 1936 Summer Olympics, it was dropped from the official schedule, however, it was nevertheless competed in four more Olympiads. Around World War II, polo's relative popularity began to diminish, because of the financial and practical challenges associated with participating in the sport. The International Olympic Committee decided to recognise polo as a sport in 1996. Polo has been approved to participate in the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics as a demonstration sport.
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Since the 1984 Games, artistic swimming—known as synchronised swimming until 2017—has been a part of the Summer Olympics. There is competition in duet and team events in the current Olympic programme, but there used to be a solo event as well. Historically, the top three countries in the sport have been the US, Canada, and Japan. From 1984 to 1996, these countries won Olympic medals. However, Russia has dominated recently, taking home the gold in every event from 2000 to 2020.
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