FUNNY SPORTS: OLYMPIC CURIOSITIES

Since the very first Games of the modern era, in Athens in 1896, sports have evolved according to the whims of spectators. Thanks to fashions, all sorts of sports, each one more unusual than the last, have rubbed shoulders with the Olympic flame, before some, for a while, falling back into oblivion. Basque pelota, cane combat, ski ballet, dog sledding, rope climbing, bowling, and even pigeon racing, they all had their moment of glory in a special category created in 1912 by the International Olympic Committee: demonstration sports. While demonstration sports were not part of the official competition, they delighted spectators, eager for thrills. Witnesses of their time, they all have their share of juicy anecdotes, disappointments, and surprises.