As we are approaching the 2016 Olympic Games on August 5 - 21 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, it's interesting to look back at some of the sports that are no longer represented in this worldwide competition. You might be surprised at what was once thought of as ' a major sport' - check out an abbreviated list below.

  • Art Competitions - from 1912 - 1948 medals were awarded for architecture, literature, painting, music, and sculpture
  • Baseball - got full status in 1992, but was discontinued in 2008
  • Canoeing - discontinued after 1956
  • Cricket - despite it's worldwide popularity, it has only been an official Olympic sports once, in 1900
  • Croquet - also making one appearance in the Summer Games - in 1900
  • 2,000 Meter Tandem Cycling - discontinued after 1972
  • Dueling Pistols - hard to believe this was ever considered an official sport, but it was included in 1906, and human silhouettes were used in the competition
  • Jeu de Paume - only included in 1908 games
  • Lacrosse - was an official sport, then a demonstration sport, then completely discontinued after 1948
  • Live Pigeon Shooting - a competition only once - in 1900
  • Motor Boating - discontinued after 1908 games
  • One Hand Weight Lifting - made appearances in 1896, 1904, and 1906
  • Plunge for Distance Diving - America won in 1904, and it never returned
  • Polo - never appeared again after 1936

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