Synchronized diving, trampolining, ping-pong (ahem, table tennis), canoe slalom, handball, rhythmic gymnastics. All sports you generally don't see on TV, except every four years, of course, when the Olympics roll around. I have to admit I enjoy watching these events (although I'm a little unclear why badminton's an Olympic sport and baseball isn't).
It's the one venue where athletes who toil in relative obscurity get their moment in the sun. I do wonder how people get involved in some of these sports, though. I mean is it common for someone to grow up wanting to win the gold in doubles badminton?
Why did they drop baseball? It really was a contest, more often that not won by someone other than the USA (since MLB season is in the summer), and thus gave place to Cubans, Nicaraguans, and others. Yet, these other sports (one I couldn't even name...a cross between football and soccer?). Strange. In the Atlanta games (96) I got to see the USA vs. Nicaragua in the Bronze Medal match (USA won). You would have thought the rest of the world would enjoy seeing the USA not win the gold in their own sport!
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