With the 2018 Olympics coming to an end, many people are still surprised to hear that curling is an actual sport. While yes, a game that is pretty much ice shuffleboard is quite hilarious, believe it or not, there are sports that are arguably less well known and more ridiculous than that. Here’s a few examples:
Winter Olympics:
Biathlon
Picture this. You’re skiing. Not downhill, though, that would be too easy; then you have gravity on your side. You’re skiing uphill, cross country as they call it, and your heart is beating close to 160bpm, which is equivalent to a full sprint. Now imagine you have a loaded gun on your back and you have to periodically stop and slow your body enough to aim and shoot at a series of targets. Welcome to biathlon.
Skeleton
Imagine all the thrill and risk of the bobsled. Except it’s just you. And you’re facing headfirst. And there is no luge. Basically you’re flying headfirst at 60mph with nothing to protect you from crashing into the icy walls except a helmet and you have to use micro-movements of your arms and legs to steer. They call it skeleton for a reason.
Summer Olympics:
Trampoline
That’s right, you heard it here. This is an actual thing, and it’s quite impressive. As part of the gymnastic discipline, gymnasts are scored on height, technique, and different tricks they do. Make sure to catch Olympic trampoline at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Equestrian Dressage
One of the most infamous summer sports is basically horse dancing, but don’t tell that to anyone who does it. I’m sure it’s an event that is taken incredibly seriously, as all equestrian events are. But I just can’t get over it.
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