The Olympic Games have come a long way from when they began nearly 3000 years ago in Greece. It is believed by some that the original games were just a contest of a foot race and around 700 B.C. the pentathlon was introduced. As time progressed more events were introduced like boxing and wrestling. They even had something close to what we call Mixed Martial Arts known as pankration.
Today we continue this tradition on an international level which has led to changes over time. The honoring of Zeus is no longer the primary reason for the games but the goal is still the same: a chance to be the best of the best. Over decades different cultures have brought different cards to the table and we have seen new sports introduced over the years. On August 3, 2016, the International Olympic Committee agreed to add five new sports to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. They are baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sports climbing and surfing.
This is a great decision by the committee because they are staying relevant with our generation and introducing events that will resonate better with today’s younger population. Athletics evolve with societies and cultures. I am all for tradition, but if a sport is not as relevant as it used to be and there are others with better athletes and a larger competitor pool it seems to be the right decision.
Additionally, modification of existing sports is another way to improve the competitiveness and viewership of the Olympics. One example would be Taekwondo which first debuted as a demonstration sport in the 1988 Olympics and was introduced as a medal sport at the 2000 Olympic Games. According to Nick Hope, an Olympic sports writer for BBC, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) will be lobbying for a team fighting event of three versus three and five versus five. This will provide for a much more entertaining event to watch. It would be just like the movie “Best of the Best” where Team Korea fought against Team U.S.A. in a match that consisted of five individual battles from different members of each team. The points were awarded for each strike landed and pooled together. The team with the highest combined score after all five matches was the victor. If Taekwondo at the 2020 Olympics will be anything like this, the audience will be glued to their screens. The competition will be intense as each fighter will not just be fighting for their own victory, but for their teams and ultimately, their country.
The games are also benefiting from the evolution we are seeing where professional athletes are beginning to compete in certain events. At this year’s 2016 Olympic Games boxing is one of the events that will have professionals competing. Based on what we have seen spark from the 1992 Olympic Dream Team for men’s basketball, there is a good chance introducing professional athletes in the Olympics will benefit the games not only in terms of rating, but ultimately we will be able to see the best in the world compete against one another.
