Throughout their history, the Olympic Games have seen numerous sporting disciplines parade, some more unusual than the others. Here are 7 Olympic sports that are out of the ordinary:
1. Pigeon shooting (1900)
During the Paris Games in 1900, live pigeon shooting was one of the events. The Belgian Léon de Lunden won gold by shooting down 21 birds.
2. The equestrian long jump (1900)
For this long jump event, horses replaced the athletes. The Belgian Constant van Langendonck on Extra-Dry jumped 6.1m, less than the human record.
3. The 200m swimming race with obstacles (1900)
Also in Paris in 1900, swimmers had to climb a pole, climb over boats and pass under the hull of a barge in the Seine. Australian Fred Lane won gold.
4. The pistol duel (1912)
Olympic discipline in 1912 in Stockholm, participants shot at dummies with targets painted on their chests, not at each other.
5. Modern pentathlon
Combining swimming, fencing, show jumping, running and shooting, this event is considered arbitrary and is modern only in name.
6. Tug of war (1900-1920)
Olympic sport from 1900 to 1920, two teams of 8 athletes competed by pulling on a rope to make the opponent fall.
7. Solo synchronized swimming (1984-1992)
Olympic discipline from 1984 to 1992, individual athletes presented choreographies in the pool, synchronizing their movements to music due to lack of teammates.
Although they have disappeared from the modern Games, these unusual disciplines have marked Olympic history with their originality and their sometimes zany side. They bear witness to the evolution of sports and mentalities over time.