Top 10 Underrated Olympic Sports

There was quite a lengthy hiatus for rugby at the Summer Olympics. 15-a-side matches were discontinued after the 1924 Games. It then took nearly a century, 92 years more precisely, for rugby to make its return at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. But it wasn’t the original set-up. Rather, this would mark the start of the discipline known as rugby sevens, in which each team trots out seven players for a game involving physicality, endurance, speed, agility, and teamwork. Fiji won the first men’s gold medal in the sport, while Australia came out on top for women. For those who dread sitting down for hours to watch a sporting event, rugby sevens’ fast-paced 14-minute games may be an attractive element.

Canoeing has been a staple at the Summer Olympic Games since 1936. Both disciplines, sprint and slalom, the latter of which joined the party in 1972, are intriguing races along the water that warrant more public attention. Canoe sprint, which takes place on flatwater, is the way to go for those looking for sheer speed; whereas, canoe slalom, which occurs on an artificial white-water course, may be preferred by others due to its element of tactical navigation. That’s because there are 18 to 25 gates through which the athletes must, well, slalom. Either way, when it comes to both canoeing events, what’s impressive and potentially appealing for the public is the combination of technique, concentration, and speed.

Extreme sliding. That’s one way to characterize the electrifying winter sport that is skeleton. It first appeared at the St. Moritz Winter Olympics in 1928, made a brief comeback at the 1948 Games, before missing out on the next 13 events. Since its return in 2002, skeleton has become a consistent winter event. The sport involves the competitor starting with a sprint before hopping on their sled in plank position, and then zooming head-first along an ice track. Gravity and kinetic energy are integral factors of skeleton. Also, focus, stillness, and tiny movements of the head, shoulders, and feet to steer are key. Precision is everything here, as races are often won by milliseconds. Besides all that, the cool helmets are a plus.

The incredible acrobatics involved in trampolining makes for a captivating spectacle. The event first appeared at the Olympics in the 2000 Games in Sydney. Men and women alike soar over 25 feet in the air while performing a series of twists, bounces, and somersaults. While the sport has certainly become popular, the elaborate body movements, superb body control, and overall exceptional technique necessary, in addition to the high-flying nature of it, still make it underrated. Plus, for many of us who have fun childhood memories of bouncing on a trampoline, these athletes show us all the amazing aerial maneuvers that we ourselves could never do.

It can be riveting watching two skilled table tennis players whack a ball back and forth over the net. Table tennis has been a sport at the Summer Olympics since 1988 and has been dominated by China. At the Olympics, the intensity level during an epic rally can be through the roof. The speed, spin, accuracy, and body movements utilized by players is amazing. They however have to stand somewhat far away from the table, compared to the typical friendly amateur match in your buddy’s basement. Sure, most people are familiar with this sport, whether they refer to it as table tennis or ping pong. But the real question is: do they watch it during the Olympics? Well, they should.

Fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running. Yes, that’s five different sports, but they mold into one Olympic event known as modern pentathlon. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympic Games, was fond of the ancient games version of the pentathlon, which consisted of running, jumping, javelin, discus, and wrestling. He wanted to incorporate an updated version that would test a “complete” athlete, and so he proposed the modern pentathlon. 1912 marked the first edition of the competition, while a women’s event was introduced in 2000. Modern pentathlon doesn’t get the public attention it deserves relative to other Olympic sports, particularly given its lengthy history and the way it tests athletes’ versatility.

Focus, precision, and consistency are vital in archery, a sport that debuted at the Olympics in Paris in 1900. South Korea has dominated the category, winning 13 more gold medals and 10 more total medals than the second most successful nation. Taking into account the size of the targets and the distance from which the archers shoot their arrows, this unique competition is pretty awesome. Targets measure 122 centimeters in diameter. And archers stand 70 meters, or about 230 feet away. Can you believe how far that is?! So next time you watch Olympic competitors launch arrows through the summer sky, remember the extraordinary concentration it takes to hit those distant bullseyes.

Once known as water ballet, this sport now commonly goes by artistic or synchronized swimming. At the Olympics, the event is presented as both duet and team competitions. The pool-based sport requires water acrobatics, flexibility, attention to detail, choreography, and synchronization amongst teammates. All of this along with the incorporation of music results in an unparalleled spectacle. Artistic swimming first made its way to the Olympics in 1984 and has provided numerous entertaining moments since. Obviously, the athletes compete for the highest scoring routines, but for viewers, the unique artistry of the sport allows it to be interpreted not only as a competition, but as a performance, or show as well.

Hitting the birdie back and forth over the net is considered a fun, casual outdoor activity by many. But there’s nothing casual about Olympic badminton. These athletes engage in intense, fast-paced rallies that demand ultra-quick reflexes, sharp decision-making and superb hand-eye coordination. Badminton became an official event at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona. The competition includes single and double events for men and women separately, as well as mixed double events. Matches are best-of-three series, with each individual game played to at least 21 points. This racket sport is wildly popular, especially in Asia, yet it’s a bit of an unsung hero at the Olympics. Its skillful and entertaining nature definitely warrants a much larger global audience.

Although it first appeared at the Berlin Olympics in 1936, handball wouldn’t become a mainstay at the Games until 1972. It’s a fairly popular team sport in Europe, but hasn’t caught on nearly as much in other places, such as the U.S. According to the International Olympic Committee, handball sits in the fourth out of six tiers of popularity among Summer Olympic sports. That takes into account TV viewership, internet popularity, public surveys, ticket requests, press coverage, and the number of national federations. Clearly, handball doesn’t draw quite the same attention as some other Olympic sports. But it should. The sport, which requires teamwork, strategic positioning, throwing accuracy, deception, and agility, among other qualities, is certainly worth a watch.

Let us know in the comments which of these Olympic Sports you’re most interested in watching!