Top 10 Underrated Olympic Sports

WatchMojo

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.

Transcript

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.

10:25Did you enjoy this video?

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