We sit at home and cheer, and scream, and some of us even cry; all with the hopes of hearing our National Anthem play as an athlete representing our country stands tall on the podium. With this year’s Summer Olympics coming to their close, it’s hard to imagine them any other way. But believe it or not, some of the events that world-class athletes used to compete in are no longer a part of the games. Events come and go, like snowboarding being added to the Winter Games in 1998, or like golf making it’s return to the Summer Games this year. With that being said, here are some of the most bizarre events people used to compete in.

1. Tug-of-war.

That’s right, think grade-school-style gym class with this one. Tug-of-War was a track and field event in the Olympics from 1900 to 1920. Part of the ancient Olympics that were held back in 500 BC, it made its return for the first part of the 20th Century. This event was between two teams of eight and the goal was to pull the other team six feet over the line. If, after five minutes, no team accomplished this, then the team that pulled the furthest would be named the winner.

2. Swimming obstacle course.

Only ever held one time in 1900, this complex event was surely and entertaining one. This 200-meter race was a combination of climbing over a pole, scrambling over a row of boats, and then swimming underneath another row of boats. As if this didn’t seem hard enough already, imagine doing it in a river with a strong current. Frederick Lane of Australia was the gold medalist, with a time only 13 seconds slower than his time for the 200-meter without any obstacles.

3. Running deer shooting.

Hunting for a medal (literally). This target-shooting event was part of the Olympics from 1908 to 1948, and consisted of a deer-shaped target that made ten 75-foot runs. There were separate events for single-shot and double-shot, so each competitor would get just that - either one or two shots. The target had three different circles on it, each of which held a different point value. Sweden performed the highest out of any other country at this event, and won more medals than any other country throughout the history of the event.

4. Art competitions.

The battle to find the artsiest of them all. From 1912 to 1948, medals were awarded in five different categories: architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture. The founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin, won a gold medal for literature at the 1912 Olympics Games in Stockholm. In 1956, an Olympic cultural program was held instead of the art competitions, as the majority of the competitors were professional artists.

5. Rope climbing.

Once again, think about gym class with this one -- but more extreme. Rope climbing was part of the gymnastics program in the 1986, 1904, 1906, 1924 and 1932 Olympic Games. Participants would race to the top of the rope as quickly as possible to test upper body strength. The first time the event took place, the rope was 15 meters long, with style points rewarded, but the rope was only eight meters long thereafter.

6. Solo synchronized swimming.

From 1984 to 1992, solo synchronized swimming was an event at the Olympics. The people that came up with this event claimed it meant that the person was synchronized with the music, since you can’t swim in sync with just yourself. They quickly found out that the event didn’t make much sense and discontinued it from the Games.

7. Croquet.

Possibly one of the biggest fails of the Olympics took place at the 1900 Games, held in Paris, where croquet was one of the many sports that people competed in. There were only three women to take part in this event, and they were some of the first women to ever compete in the Olympics. Competitors were lacking, as were the fans. Only one person ever showed up to watch the event.

8. Plunge for distance diving

Think about the contests you’d have in your best friend’s pool to find out who could dive then coast the furthest out. Now, imagine that being done by some of the world’s most athletic competitors. Starting with a standing dive, these competitors would have to remain motionless underwater for one minute or until their heads would come to the surface. The furthest distance recorded would win the event. Only held one time, at the 1904 Olympics, this event was not very popular among fans.

9. Stone throw.

Similar to the modern day shot put event, the stone throw was a field event in the Olympics in 1906. However, rather than throwing from the neck position like the shot put, you could throw the stone in any manner that you wanted. A total of 16 people competed in the event, throwing the 14-pound weight into the field. The furthest distance the stone was thrown was almost 20 meters.

For a full list of bizarre events that have since been discontinued, check out this site.