Two-hand shot put sounds more like a kids' attempt at tossing a heavy ball and tug-of-war sounds more like a party game, but at one time they were both considered sports of the highest regard.

The two-handed shooting game, which was actually an accumulated score based on distances thrown by competitors using both their left and right hands made its one and only Olympic appearance in the 1912 games, while the teams' tug of war lasted for six Olympics, from 1900 to 1920.

Perhaps even more bizarre, and certainly more barbaric, was the live pigeon shooting event that took place in the 1900 games. Leon de Lunden of Belgium won, taking 21 birds from the sky. French shooter Maurice Faure was close behind, killing 20, while Australian Donald MacIntosh rounded out the top three with 18 kills. The event saw the bloody deaths of nearly 300 birds.

Another odd event was the 1900 200-metre obstacle swimming race. It involved climbing, scrambling over boats and swimming under boats, while battling a current.

It wasn't the only quirky event held in the water — plunging for distance had athletes competing to see how deep they could get into the water. William Dickey of the United States won with a plunge of 19.05 metres.

The 1925 games had “la canne,” a fencing-like sport, with canes instead of swords.
Even in more modern times, odd games ensued. From 1984 to 1992, women could compete in solo synchronized swimming — yes, that's actually what it was called.

Tandem cycling was only axed after the 1972 games,

While these events have been discontinued, the Olympics still continue to offer a plethora of sporting events. Women's boxing made its debut this year, and golf is pegged to make a comeback.

Posted by Arron Pickard