Hi there! Have you ever watched the Olympics? It’s a big event where athletes from all over the world come together to compete in different sports. One of my favorite parts is the opening ceremony, where I try to guess the countries by looking at their flags. Today, let’s talk about some unusual sports you might find in the Olympics!
We all know about popular Olympic sports like swimming, running, and gymnastics. But did you know there are some sports that might seem a bit unusual? For example, synchronized swimming is a sport where swimmers perform amazing routines in the water. It started in Germany and is now an Olympic sport with teams from many countries, including the United States.
Let’s play a fun game! I’ll tell you about four different sports, and you can guess which ones are part of the Olympics. Ready?
In tug-of-war, two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, trying to bring it to their side. Do you think this is an Olympic sport?
Race walking is a sport where athletes race each other by walking as fast as they can, but they must keep one foot on the ground at all times. Is this an Olympic sport?
In curling, players slide a stone across the ice while their teammates sweep the ice in front of it to guide the stone. Is curling an Olympic sport?
Ski ballet looks like skiing but involves dancing on skis, similar to figure skating. Is ski ballet an Olympic sport?
Take a moment to think about your answers. Ready to find out?
Believe it or not, all four of these sports have been part of the Olympics at some point! Race walking and curling are still in the Olympics today. You could see race walking in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and curling in the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Tug-of-war and ski ballet were once Olympic sports too. Tug-of-war was last included in the early 1900s, and ski ballet was part of the Winter Olympics about 30 years ago.
The Olympics have been around for over 120 years, and the sports included have changed a lot over time. Who knows? Maybe tug-of-war will make a comeback, or other unusual sports will be added in the future!
The Olympics are a fantastic way to learn about sports from all around the world. Some might be familiar, while others might surprise you. Keep watching and discovering new things!
That’s all for today! Stay curious, and keep exploring the wonderful world of sports!
Olympic Sports Detective: Go on a mini-adventure in your home or school to find objects that remind you of the unusual Olympic sports we talked about. For example, you could use a jump rope to mimic the tug-of-war or a broom to pretend you’re sweeping like in curling. Share your findings with a friend or family member and explain how each object relates to the sport.
Create Your Own Sport: Imagine you are in charge of adding a new sport to the Olympics. What would it be? Think about the rules, the equipment needed, and how players would win. Draw a picture of your sport and write a few sentences describing it. Share your creation with the class and see if they can guess how to play!
Olympic Sports Around the World: With the help of a parent or teacher, look up one unusual Olympic sport and find out which countries are best at it. Why do you think those countries excel in that sport? Discuss with your classmates or family how different cultures might influence the sports they are good at.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone ringing) – Hi, it’s Doug. I’m a big fan of the Olympics and flags. One of my favorite things to do is watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics and guess which countries are competing by looking at their flags. Someone named Ja’Kehis has a question about the Olympics. Let’s give him a call now.
– Hi Doug.
– Hi Ja’Kehis.
– I have a question for you. What are some of the unusual sports in the Olympics?
– That’s a great question! You’ve probably seen sports like swimming, running, and gymnastics in the Summer Olympics. There are also Winter Olympic sports like snowboarding and figure skating. Sometimes, you might see a sport that seems unfamiliar and think, “What is this?” It might seem unusual, but it’s a real Olympic sport. For example, synchronized swimming is quite intense. What seems unusual to you might not be to someone else. Synchronized swimming started in Germany and has become an Olympic sport, with an American team as well.
The Olympics feature countries from all over the world, so there are likely many sports that might seem unusual to you. In the spirit of the Olympics, I want to challenge you to a competition. I’ll show you four different sports that you might not have seen much before. See if you can guess which of these sports are part of the Olympics and which ones aren’t. Are you ready?
Okay, here’s sport number one: tug-of-war. In this sport, two teams pull on either end of a rope to get it onto their side. What do you think? Is tug-of-war an Olympic sport? Keep your answer to yourself for now.
Here’s sport number two: race walking. In this sport, athletes race each other, but they can only walk, keeping one foot on the ground at all times. What do you think? Is race walking an Olympic sport?
Now, sport number three: curling. In curling, players slide a stone across the ice while teammates sweep the ice in front of it. What do you think? Is curling an Olympic sport?
Finally, sport number four: ski ballet. At first glance, it looks like skiing, but it’s a dancing sport similar to figure skating, but on skis. What do you think? Is ski ballet an Olympic sport?
Now would be a good time to pause the video if you want to write down your guesses about each of these four sports: tug-of-war, race walking, curling, and ski ballet. Go ahead and pause the video now.
Okay, you ready? Believe it or not, all four of these sports have been Olympic sports. Race walking and curling are currently in the Olympics. Race walking was featured in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and you can watch curling in the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Tug-of-war and ski ballet were also Olympic sports at one time. Tug-of-war was last included in the early 1900s, and ski ballet was part of two Winter Olympic games about 30 years ago.
The modern Olympics have been around for over 120 years, and sports have changed a lot over time. There’s a chance that tug-of-war might be added back to the Olympics in the future, and who knows what other unusual sports might be included!
In summary, there are many different sports in the Olympics because countries from all over the world compete. Some sports you may already know, while others might seem unusual. The Olympics is a great opportunity to learn about them.
That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Ja’Kehis, for asking it! For the next episode, I found three questions submitted to me that I’m considering answering. When this video is done, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from, “Do brown cows make chocolate milk?” “Why is February a shorter month than all the others?” or “How do broken bones heal?”
So, submit your vote when the video’s over. I want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week!
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This version removes any informal language and maintains a more polished tone.
