Has to be a sport already in the Olympics

  • viking@infosec.pub
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    3 months ago

    Curling, if we count Winter Olympics as well. Quite a few of the athletes look not nearly as athletic as in other disciplines, and I dare say I can whip up some vicious mopping.

    • MajorHavoc@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      My respect for curling was greatly increased when I walked into a room where it was showing on TV, and they were smoking (don’t smoke, kids) and someone was having a sandwich.

      I asked if they had won and were allowed to celebrate right there on the ice?

      My mate said, “Nah. They’re still competing right now.”

      I don’t know if my mate was messing with me, or what.

      But I want to believe. An Olympian who doesn’t let competing interfere with a good sandwich… Is one who has my eternal respect.

  • j4k3@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    ·
    3 months ago

    Olympians are a lifestyle that starts from a young age in almost every case. They are generally poor/supported by their family. They usually don’t do anything that is social in time or food constraints. I’m not saying they never have fun or do anything, but am saying their eating and sleep patterns generally come first. The 4 time Olympic velodrome racer I worked with in the bike shops, came to work looking like a tupperware salesman. He never ate full meals like most people. He nibbled on stuff all day long, just a bite here and there, and always healthy stuff he made. When we did group rides, he was enormous, but never showed off, sprinted, or pushed at all. He would tell you that it was not part of his schedule routine to do so. Track riders are the big guys. I’m the same build as him and I was intimidating in a kit back then, but I looked like batman standing next to the Hulk with him. He was awesome to work with, but really struggled with the desire to have a life and family against the absolute commitment of riding.

    One of the fit coaches at the first bike shop I worked at used to say that the world cycling track record for the hour distance was accessible to beat. The record has been beat by someone with a higher average cadence than the previous person since something like the 1970’s. That level of cycling is really all about pain and the mental battle. Targeting average cadence would yield a simple enough target to focus on even when your brain is at something like 2% functionality from blood oxygen deprivation. I’m an idiot in just a 30 minute crit when I’m at like 5% function. I can’t imagine figuring out how circles work at 2%, but maybe someone else can.

    • Delphia@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      3 months ago

      At our gym we have a “rower drag racing” leaderboard.

      Something about my size, fitness level and physiology just slots me in as one of the top 5. I can crank out a KM in a REALLY good time despite not being super strong or fit and then collapse onto the floor damn near dying for the next 15 minutes.

      In shorter distances the stronger guys bury me, over longer distances my endurance gives out. But at a KM I can give it 100% the whole time and hit my wall right on the mark.

  • Honytawk@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    14
    ·
    3 months ago

    None, you are competing with other humans.

    If it is easy for you to compete, it is easy for them too.

    And the olympics is the top of the top. So you will have the biggest competers all together.

    That said, I’ve seen a lot of dad bods on Curling. That is more about precision than having perfectly toned muscles.

  • tyler@programming.dev
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    3 months ago

    Maybe equestrian racing. Buy an already trained horse and then it mostly knows what to do. And there’s like 50 plus competitors.

  • all4one@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    3 months ago

    Its gotta be handball or field hockey. You don’t have to be the best person, just among the best.

    • hank_the_tank66@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      3 months ago

      Was watching Denmark v. France last week. France got a penalty, and Denmark subbed in a very rotund goalkeeper for the penalty, then Immediately subbed him back out.

      So, just get hella chonky and go join your country’s handball team.

      Real talk, I wish Handball was more widely played in the US. I have the right build and good hand-eye coordination for (non-goalie) Handball.

  • Chozo@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    Is the luge still an Olympic sport? If so, I’d probably say that’s the easiest to get into. I’m sure there’s actually a lot of technique and nuance to it, but it really does look like you just kinda ride on a really dope sled.

  • stinerman [Ohio]@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    Rugby Sevens most likely. The US Women’s team had people on it who had never played rugby 4 years ago. Granted they had an (American) football background. Handball might be in there. It’s gotta be a sport that isn’t very popular.

  • blackstrat@lemmy.fwgx.uk
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    3 months ago

    Rowing cox. No athletic prowess or skill required. Only requirement is to be physically small and do a bit of coaching.

  • tiredofsametab@kbin.run
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    Olympic pushmowing on uneven terrain with lots of rocks and roots where it’s not regular grass but super wet stuff that never dries, viney things that bind up the mower, and weird plants I can’t identify (or maybe some kind of lichen sort of thing?). I definitely spend enough time practicing it. Can’t wait to shade a lot out with the orchard I’m planting and replace others with better (largely edible) plants and better ground cover.