These underrated sports deserve all the hype! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most awesome under-the-radar sports played at the summer and winter Olympics that certainly deserve a lot more attention.
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00:00Her accuracy saw her take the lead at the second-last station.
00:04She charged home to take gold.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most awesome under-the-radar
00:10sports played at the Summer and Winter Olympics that certainly deserve a lot more attention.
00:14He is the Olympic champion for men's individual archery.
00:21What a moment for him.
00:24Number 10.
00:25Rugby sevens.
00:26One of those hairs standing up on the back of the neck moments.
00:31The Olympic final.
00:34A gold medal at stake.
00:36There was quite a lengthy hiatus for rugby at the Summer Olympics.
00:39Fifteen aside matches were discontinued after the 1924 games.
00:42It then took nearly a century, 92 years more precisely, for rugby to make its return at
00:47the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
00:49And again it's a Fiji try, and it's Leone Nakaroa.
00:54But it wasn't the original setup.
00:56Rather, this would mark the start of the discipline known as rugby sevens, in which each team
01:00trots out seven players for a game involving physicality, endurance, speed, agility, and
01:05teamwork.
01:06Fiji won the first men's gold medal in the sport, while Australia came out on top for
01:09women.
01:10World Series champions, and now history makers, the Aussie women, the first team to win gold
01:14in Olympic sevens.
01:16For those who dread sitting down for hours to watch a sporting event, rugby sevens' fast-paced
01:2114-minute games may be an attractive element.
01:23Number nine.
01:24Canoe, slalom, and sprint.
01:25Canoeing has been a staple at the Summer Olympic Games since 1936.
01:28Both disciplines, sprint and slalom, the latter of which joined the party in 1972, are intriguing
01:33races along the water that warrant more public attention.
01:36Canoe sprint, which takes place on flat water, is the way to go for those looking for sheer
01:40speed.
01:41This is poetry, this is passion, this is power from the Brazilian.
01:45Whereas canoe slalom, which occurs on an artificial whitewater course, may be preferred by others
01:49due to its element of tactical navigation.
01:52He now has to pedal with freedom.
01:55He's going to have to take some risks.
01:57That's because there are 18 to 25 gates through which the athletes must, well, slalom.
02:01Either way, when it comes to both canoeing events, what's impressive and potentially
02:04appealing for the public is the combination of technique, concentration, and speed.
02:09It's unbelievable just how much water is flowing down this course, which is, in theory or thereabouts,
02:16400 meters.
02:17Number eight.
02:18Skeleton, extreme sliding.
02:19That's one way to characterize the electrifying winter sport that is skeleton.
02:23Skeleton's due course set the fastest time in practice for this event and built up a
02:27push-off speed of 51.3 kilometers per hour on the way to reaching a higher speed of 130.3
02:34kilometers per hour in his ride.
02:37It first appeared at the St. Moritz Winter Olympics in 1928, made a brief comeback at
02:41the 1948 Games, before missing out on the next 13 events.
02:45Since its return in 2002, skeleton has become a consistent winter event.
02:49The Russian building a fastest time of over 131 kilometers per hour, that being over a
02:54second faster than his nearest rival.
02:57The sport involves the competitor starting with a sprint before hopping on their sled
03:00in plank position, and then zooming headfirst along an ice track.
03:03Gravity and kinetic energy are integral factors of skeleton.
03:06Also, focus, stillness, and tiny movements of the head, shoulders, and feet to steer
03:10are key.
03:11Precision is everything here, as races are often won by milliseconds.
03:14Beside all that, the cool helmets are a plus.
03:24Number 7.
03:25Trampoline.
03:26The incredible acrobatics involved in trampolining make for a captivating spectacle.
03:30Looking very strong through all her twisting parts.
03:34The event first appeared at the Olympics in the 2000 Games in Sydney.
03:37Men and women alike soar over 25 feet in the air while performing a series of twists, bounces,
03:41and somersaults.
03:43While this sport has certainly become popular, the elaborate body movements, superb body
03:46control, and overall exceptional technique necessary, in addition to the high-flying
03:50nature of it, still make it underrated.
04:01Plus, for many of us who have fun childhood memories of bouncing on a trampoline, these
04:05athletes show us all the amazing aerial maneuvers that we ourselves could never do.
04:12So it's not too serious.
04:18Good hide on the last skill.
04:20Number 6.
04:21Table tennis.
04:22It can be riveting watching two skilled table tennis players whack a ball back and forth
04:26over the net.
04:31Table tennis has been a sport at the Summer Olympics since 1988, and has been dominated
04:35by China.
04:36At the Olympics, the intensity level during an epic rally can be through the roof.
04:39The speed, spin, accuracy, and body movements utilized by players is amazing.
04:44They however, have to stand somewhat far away from the table compared to the typical friendly
04:48amateur match in your buddy's basement.
04:55Sure, most people are familiar with this sport, whether they refer to it as table tennis or
04:58ping pong, but the real question is, do they watch it during the Olympics?
05:01Well, they should.
05:10Number 5.
05:11Modern pentathlon.
05:12Fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross-country
05:16running.
05:17Yeah, that's five different sports, but they mold into one Olympic event known as modern
05:21pentathlon.
05:22First, athletes had to swim 200 meters.
05:24Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, was fond of the ancient
05:29games version of the pentathlon, which consisted of running, jumping, javelin, discus, and
05:33wrestling.
05:34He wanted to incorporate an updated version that would test a complete athlete, and so
05:37he proposed a modern pentathlon.
05:39This was riding, where athletes navigated 15 jumps on horses drawn at random.
05:441912 marked the first edition of the competition, while a women's event was introduced in 2000.
05:50Modern pentathlon doesn't get the public attention it deserves relative to other Olympic
05:54sports, particularly given its lengthy history and the way it tests athletes' versatility.
05:58Four shooting stations were spread throughout the 3.2 kilometer run.
06:02Number 4.
06:03Archery.
06:04Focus, precision, and consistency are vital in archery, a sport that debuted at the Olympics
06:07in Paris in 1900.
06:09South Korea has dominated the category, winning 13 more gold medals and 10 more total medals
06:13than the second most successful nation.
06:15If Ansan can finish this off with a perfect set, then the Dutch, well you just have to
06:22say you're beaten by the better side.
06:24Taking into account the size of the targets and the distance from which the archers shoot
06:28their arrows, this unique competition is pretty awesome.
06:31Targets measure 122 centimeters in diameter, and archers stand 70 meters or about 230 feet
06:36away.
06:37Can you believe how far that is?
06:38So next time you watch Olympic competitors launch arrows through the summer sky, remember
06:49the extraordinary concentration it takes to hit those distant bull's eyes.
06:53If this 22-year-old from Turkey scores a 10, he is the Olympic champion.
07:00Number 3.
07:01Artistic Swimming.
07:08First known as water ballet, this sport now commonly goes by artistic or synchronized
07:12swimming.
07:13At the Olympics, the event is presented as both duet and team competitions.
07:16The pool-based sports require water aerobics, flexibility, attention to detail, choreography,
07:21and synchronization among teammates.
07:22All of this along with the incorporation of music results in an unparalleled spectacle.
07:43Artistic swimming first made its way to the Olympics in 1984 and has provided numerous
07:47entertaining moments since.
07:48Obviously, the athletes compete for the highest scoring routines, but for viewers, the unique
07:53artistry of the sport allows it to be interpreted not only as a competition, but as a performance
07:56or show as well.
08:07Number 2.
08:08Badminton.
08:09Hitting the birdie back and forth over the net is considered a fun, casual outdoor activity
08:11by many.
08:12But there's nothing casual about Olympic badminton.
08:19These athletes engage in intense, fast-paced rallies that demand ultra-quick reflexes,
08:23sharp decision-making, and superb hand-eye coordination.
08:26Badminton became an official event at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona.
08:30The competition includes single and double events for men and women separately, as well
08:34as mixed double events.
08:39Matches are best-of-three series with each individual game played to at least 21 points.
08:43This racket sport is wildly popular, especially in Asia, yet it's a bit of an unsung hero
08:47at the Olympics.
08:49Its skillful and entertaining nature definitely warrants a much larger global audience.
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09:16Number 1.
09:17Although it first appeared at the Berlin Olympics in 1936, handball wouldn't become a mainstay
09:22at the Games until 1972.
09:32It's a fairly popular team sport in Europe but hasn't caught on nearly as much in other
09:36places, such as the U.S.
09:37According to the International Olympic Committee, handball sits in the fourth out of six tiers
09:41of popularity among Summer Olympic sports.
09:43It takes into account TV viewership, internet popularity, public surveys, ticket requests,
09:48press coverage, and the number of national federations.
09:57Clearly, handball doesn't draw quite the same attention as some other Olympic sports, but
10:01it should.
10:07The sport, which requires teamwork, strategic positioning, throwing accuracy, deception,
10:12and agility, among other qualities, is certainly worth a watch.
10:15Let us know in the comments which of these Olympic sports you're most interested in watching.
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