Forgotten Olympics
- Aug 1
- 2 min read
The Olympics are a celebration of human excellence, discipline, and tradition. But not all Olympic events stand the test of time. Over the decades, some competitions have quietly disappeared, leaving behind little more than faded photographs and a trail of curiosity. Among the most baffling? Events like solo synchronised swimming, rope climbing, and pistol duelling. Yes, really.
Let’s begin with solo synchronised swimming—a concept that sounds like a contradiction in terms. How does one synchronise with… oneself?
First introduced at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, solo synchronised swimming involved athletes performing carefully choreographed routines in the water to music, judged on precision, artistry, and timing. Technically, the synchronisation was with the music rather than another swimmer. But to viewers, it appeared rather strange—an elegant solo ballet in a pool, labelled as “synchronised.” The event was quietly retired after the 1992 Olympics, merged into duets and team routines instead. It faded from public memory, but for a brief moment, it was part of Olympic history.
Then there was rope climbing, an event that would feel more at home in a Victorian gymnasium than on the world’s biggest sporting stage. Introduced in the first modern Olympics in 1896, rope climbing involved athletes racing to the top of a vertical rope using only their hands. It was as gruelling as it sounds—and, to some, just as dull to watch. The event was part of Olympic gymnastics in various editions until 1932, when it was dropped for good. Still, the image of men in tight white singlets scrambling up a 25-foot rope remains a curious visual from the Games’ early years.
But perhaps the most jaw-dropping forgotten event was pistol duelling. While never a full medal sport, it featured in the 1906 Intercalated Games (which the IOC no longer officially recognises) and again as a demonstration event in 1908 in London. Competitors stood at a set distance and shot at dummies dressed in frock coats, with bullseyes placed over the heart and head. Thankfully, they weren’t shooting at each other, but the event still carried the theatrical air of a duel at dawn. As you might expect, pistol duelling didn’t last long.
Other discontinued sports include tug of war (an official Olympic event from 1900 to 1920), live pigeon shooting (thankfully replaced by clay targets), and even art competitions—with medals once awarded for painting, sculpture, music, literature, and architecture.
So why do some sports vanish while others remain? The reasons vary: lack of popularity, safety concerns, evolving global standards, or simply the desire to modernise. The Olympic programme is reviewed regularly, and with limited slots, organisers must decide what best represents the spirit of competition today.
Still, these vanished events serve as a reminder that even the most time-honoured institutions have their quirks. For a brief time, someone trained, competed, and dreamed of gold in rope climbing or solo synchronised swimming. And just like that—one Olympic cycle later—it was gone.
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