For centuries, people around the world have been inventing a wide variety of entertainment. Sports have always been essential part human culture, and many sports originated centuries, if not millennia ago and have come down to us already in a modern interpretation. Modern people, compared to their predecessors, have a lot of free time - which means that you can invent new sports and change old ones. And therefore it is not surprising that sometimes in the world there are extremely unusual species sports. However, this does not mean that the world's strangest sports are something new: in fact, many of them were invented centuries ago, long before the Internet became the main source of entertainment.

10. Running with his wife and obstacles (Finland)

If you thought that Finland is a progressive country with full gender equality, think carefully. Finland is the country where one of the strangest sports was invented, steeplechase... and with a wife. It represents an annual competition where husbands have to overcome various obstacles carrying his wife on his back. And the winner receives an equally unusual prize - as much beer as his wife weighs. The most famous such competition takes place annually in Sonkajärvi, in eastern Finland, where the sport is believed to have been invented. The amazing invention has spread to other countries of the world - including Australia and the United States.

9. Sepaktakraw (Malaysia)

Sepak takraw is an unusual sport that is especially popular in Malaysia and Thailand. It originated in the 15th century, and over time it became the official sport of these two South Asian countries. Literally translated, "sepak takraw" means "to kick the ball", and this word consists of two words - the Malay "kick" and the Thai "ball". A completely unusual combination of football and volleyball, sepak takraw provides enough simple rules. Two teams, each of 3 players, stand on opposite sides of the court, divided by a net, and then try to throw the ball into the opponent's half, hitting it from their own half. The most interesting thing is that you can’t use your hands for this - you can throw the ball only with your feet, knees or chin.

8. Hornussen (Switzerland)

The Swiss are known as the inventors of watches, but not exactly known as the inventors of new sports - and it was in Switzerland that Hornussen, one of the most unusual sports in the world, was born. The rules of the game are quite remarkable: the "puck" is sent into the air with a whip, and then the players of the opposing team try to knock it down with "shindles", similar to large long-handled shovels, tossing them into the air. Teams consist of 18 players, and the game is divided into 4 rounds, or "quarters". Hornussen is a fairly old sport (it was first described back in 1625), but outside of Switzerland it is just beginning to gain popularity. Founded in 2012 international association Hornussen.

7. Buzkashi (Afghanistan)

Buzkashi is played in many Central Asian countries, but only in Afghanistan is buzkashi considered a national sport. Literally translated from Turkish, "buzkashi" means something like "beating a goat." The rules of the game are as strange as its name: players, on horseback, try to drag a goat carcass to the goal. In the past, games could last several days, but in modern rules Buzkashi has a time limit. Riders wear tight clothing and follow a strict "code of honor" - they may not intentionally knock other players off their horses or whip them with a whip. Buzkashi was banned in Afghanistan during the time of the Taliban, but recently the game has begun to gain popularity again. Games usually take place on Fridays, attracting thousands of fans, and the most famous riders are sponsored by wealthy Afghans. The sport is controlled by the Afghan Olympic Federation.

6. Camel racing (Australia)

Australia is the only place in the world where you can watch an unusual spectacle, camel racing. Moreover: 2 major tournaments are held here annually - in Alice Springs and in Queensland (with prize fund at $25,000). Camels can develop a fairly solid speed - up to 65 km / h. Camel racing as usual Horse Racing, a very popular sport in which you can bet. Tournament participants often come from different countries of the Middle East - Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia. Along with the races, “beauty contests” among camels are often held, and in some places you can not only watch unusual races, but also visit fairs selling a variety of souvenirs and products (for example, camel milk).

5. Bossabol (Spain)

Bossaball is truly an international sport. Bossaball was invented by a Belgian, first played in Spain, and the rules of the game combine elements of football, volleyball, gymnastics and Brazilian capoeira. The field of play has two "jumps" on either side of the net and is actually a huge trampoline. According to the rules of bossball, the player of the first, attacking team, serves the ball over the net, and the second, defending team must throw the ball over the net from their own half of the field in no more than 5 touches. Bossaball is not only interesting to play, but watching this unusual sport is no less interesting, because sometimes players have to perform real acrobatic numbers in the air, bouncing on a trampoline.

4. Holding a ferret in your pants (England)

This strange sport originated in Yorkshire and, according to legend, was quite popular with local coal mine workers. Also known as "ferret pants," the sport is more of a test of endurance, in which contestants are instructed to tuck a ferret into their pants and hold it there by pulling the pants tight around their ankles. Whoever lasts the longest wins. world record for this moment– 5 and a half hours! Keeping a ferret in one's pants is an old sport, but gained popularity only in the seventies, and was revived thanks to a large-scale competition in Richard, which was held annually from 2003 to 2009.

3. Kabaddi (Bangladesh)

Kabaddi is a contact sport, an unusual combination of wrestling and tags. During the game, one of the players of the attacking team, the "invader", crosses the dividing line of the field and tries to "tag" the players of the opposing team by touching them with his hand or foot. And he can do this for an extremely limited period of time - until he takes a breath. To show that he did not take a second breath, the player must constantly shout "Kabaddi!", "Kabaddi!". And in order to calmly breathe in again, the “invader” needs to return to his half of the field. Kabaddi is popular in many countries including India, Pakistan, Japan and Iran, but only in Bangladesh is kabaddi considered the national sport. And professional leagues and various competitions, such as the Asian Kabaddi Cup and the World Kabaddi Championship, are designed to increase the popularity of the game.

2. Capoeira (Brazil)

Capoeira or "Dance of War" is one of the Brazilian martial arts that combines dance, music and acrobatics. Capoeira is used both for self-defense and for performances, during which fighters, accompanied by music that sets the rhythm, amaze the audience with the most difficult acrobatic stunts. The origin of capoeira has not been fully elucidated, but it is believed that the sport originated in Brazil in the communities of slaves from Africa in the 19th century.

1. Yukigassen (Japan)

Yukigassen is an unusual sport that children will surely enjoy: it is a team game of snowball fights. This sport originated in Hokkaido, and its name literally means "snow battle". Yukigassen is played by 2 teams of 7 players each. As soon as a snowball hits any of the players, he is out of the game. Special attention is paid to safety in this "snow battle": all participants in the game wear special helmets with a face shield. Before the match, exactly 90 snowballs - “shells” are prepared, and then the teams line up on the site - and the fun begins! Yukigassen competitions are held not only in Japan, but also in Finland, Norway, Sweden, Australia, and Canada. But the World Championship is held annually in the homeland of this unusual sport, in Hokkaido.

In the world, more and more new sports are emerging, both amateur and professional. However, in parallel with them, others are born sport competitions, which undeservedly remain in the shadows, despite the huge number of loyal fans.

Here are just a few sports that you may never have known existed:
street luge

This sport combined single sled and pavement. Participants lie down on a device like an oversized skateboard, which can accommodate human body. The force of attraction does the rest of the work.

sepak takraw

Looking at this photo, you might think that this popular sport in Southeast Asia is a combination of karate and volleyball. And you are not far from the truth.

The players toss a ball made from dried palm leaves, and the game itself bears many similarities to similar team play in the West. Sepak takraw is popular in Asian countries, and in the late 80s and 90s it was even held in North America.

As in American football, sepak takraw players only pass the ball with their heads or feet. The game takes place on a court the size of a badminton court. Two teams of three players on either side of the net try to keep the ball in play for as long as possible. The scoring rules are the same as in volleyball.

Underwater hockey

This is a rather traumatic version of ice hockey with its characteristic strong pushes and collisions. Add to that the risk of being drowned, and ice hockey is child's play.

The rules of this underwater game the same as in its solid counterpart; the only difference is that the players use banana-sized wooden or plastic clubs to push the metal puck along the bottom of the pool.

When the game becomes especially exciting, the audience is only visible to the water ripples created by the intense struggle at the bottom of the pool.

Dancing with the dog

Dog dancing, also known as canine freestyle, is more of an art than a sport. They combine elements of training, obedience and dance. Dancing with a dog may seem like a fun pastime to some, but it is actually a sport that pet owners in the US, UK, Japan and other countries compete in. So, if you are looking for the perfect dance partner, we advise you to look into the encyclopedia of dog breeds.

Quidditch

Just like in the Harry Potter books, Quidditch combines magic, athleticism, and a touch of bloodlust. Do you think that, as a sport, Quidditch simply cannot exist in reality? However, a huge number of Harry Potter fans simply won't let any laws of physics get in their way. These people without magical abilities, but not without ambition and passion, and they created their own version of Quidditch, though not so magical and dramatic.

The International Quidditch Association, founded at Middlebury College in Vermont, has grown in just a few years into a network of hundreds of teams found on every continent. The game uses the same rules and the same scoring system as in the books, with one big difference - no one flies on a broomstick.

Hillbilly Games

This sport has nothing to do with board games- instead of this summer games rednecks in East Dublin, Georgia offer you sports such as throwing toilet seats, spitting sunflower seeds, or artistic belly-falling into a mud pit.

And although the participants in these ridiculous competitions do not receive so much fame, money and contracts with Nike, there is no doubt that the athletes must have a remarkable share of humor in order to get all the laurels for them.

Wife Drag Championship

Running with wives (Fin. Eukonkanto) is a simple sport of Finnish origin, which looks like this: husbands overcome all sorts of obstacles with their wife hanging upside down, hugging her husband by the neck and back.

Glory is not the only prize of the winner. The lucky winners of the World Championship in Wife Drag in Sonkajärvi are waiting for a keg of beer, the weight of the winner's wife.

tree cutting competition

It may seem to someone that cutting trees is a rather routine and dreary job.
However, competitions like riding a log or cutting the tops of trees with a hot saw make real athletes out of ordinary lumberjacks. Other competitions include team relay races, tree climbing for speed, and endurance games (such as beam riding).

Buzkashi

This is a national game typical for the countries of Central Asia, which is played on horseback - which makes it similar to polo. But there is one serious difference between buzkashi and polo - instead of wooden clubs and a ball, participants use the carcass of a cow or goat.

A team consists of ten players, five of which are in the game at any given time. Players earn points by dragging the carcass over the opponent's goal line. Considering the fact that dead animals are involved in the game, it is not surprising that the game itself is quite wild, and there are victims among the spectators.

There are hardly any people who have not heard of football, basketball or baseball. These sports are spread all over the world. However, local sports events deserve your attention no less. Let's say right away that people's creative approach to sports will not leave you indifferent. There are competitions for every taste: from simple interpretations of popular sports to completely unique games, the originality of which reaches the point of absurdity. So, here are the 25 most unusual sports in the world:

25. Cooperschild Cheese Race

An annual game is held in the picturesque Cotswolds, in which a crowd of daredevils run down the hillside in pursuit of a head of Double Gloucester Cheese. People from all over the world come to Cooper's Hill to watch and even take part in this dangerous, but very fun competition.

24. Hurling

Can you imagine the combination of football, baseball and hockey? And in Ireland there is already a game called hurling that fits that description perfectly. The equipment of a hurler player consists of a football uniform, protective helmet and a wooden stick. The goal of this game is to earn as many points as possible by scoring balls into the opponent's goal.

23. Finnish run with wives

In Finland, there is one very funny competition in which men have to overcome an obstacle course with their wives, who are on the shoulders of their husbands in a strange position upside down and head down. And to make things even more difficult, the 250-meter obstacle course has two barriers and a water pit. The main prize is a quantity of beer equal to the weight of the winner's wife.

22. Buzkashi

The national sport of Afghanistan, in which players, while on horseback, must grab a goat carcass and hold it until they reach the goal line. Buzkashi resembles polo without a stick and ball, and in terms of rudeness it is compared to American football, since Buzkashi does not do without hitting, kicking and even shooting.

21. Eton wall

A traditional sports game played exclusively for students at Eton College in England. Some compare it to rugby or football, but this is erroneous, as Eton wall is a completely different game in which the wall is the playing field. Players move along the wall and lean on each other in the struggle for the ball. If the player is close enough to the edge of the wall, they are entitled to kick the ball at the target, which can be a tree or a door. This game is not as easy as it seems, given that last time the goal was scored back in 1909.

20. Jai Alai

Jai alai is considered by sports fans as a mixture of badminton and handball. It is usually played singly or in pairs. The object of the game is to throw the ball against a wall in the opponent's zone with a scoop-like racket. And the opponent, in turn, must catch the ball directly in the air or at the first rebound from the wall. Otherwise, the player or team will lose points.

19. Chessbox

Imagine a picture: chess players moving pawns and rooks with boxing gloves, and boxers sitting on a chair and thinking how to beat an opponent in chess. Strange, isn't it? You will be surprised, but in Finland there is already a certain game where boxing and chess go hand in hand. Chessboxing is unlike any sport you know about. First, the players play a chess round, then a boxing round, and so on for 11 rounds.

18. Swim through the swamp on a mountain bike

It is genuinely surprising that the sport, which involves riding a mountain bike, being waist-deep in dirty and disgustingly stinking water, has become insanely popular all over the world. It involves not only locals, but also contestants from different countries. What can I say - even the World Cup is held on it. To win, you need to drive back and forth through the swamp ditch in the shortest possible time.

17. Kabaddi

This interesting game begins with one team sending an "invader" into enemy territory. If the invader touches one of the opposing team and runs into their own territory, they earn a point. But if the invader was touched or he was captured before he had time to escape, then the point goes to the opponents. Any player touched is out of the game. And so on until one of the teams loses all the participants.

16. Royal Shrovetide Football

Can you imagine football match, in which the whole city with a population of several thousand people participates, where even women with children reach for the ball, forgetting about everything in the world? This is how you can describe the royal Shrovetide football, which is held in the small English town of Ashbourne.

15. Championship kicks in the shin

This tough competition is quite popular in the Cotswolds, where the Cotswold Cheese Race is held. The essence of the game is simple, like its name. You need to kick your opponent's shins until he falls. Victory is yours if you win two out of three rounds.

14. Bossaball

Many of those who play beach volleyball would like to jump high above the net and perform a powerful attacking shot. And although it seems that only professionals can do such a complex element, any player, even an amateur, can do it by playing the Brazilian variety. beach volleyball- bossaball. In this sport, especially for attacking players, a special inflatable platform with trampolines has been created.

13. Jibbing

This unusual sport will appeal to fans of extreme sports who have not reached special success rollerblading or skateboarding. For jibbing, all you need is a pair of running shoes with a special groove to glide over the railing. This trick is so popular that it is used by video game characters such as Sonic and Tidus from Final Fantasy X.

12. Holding a ferret in your pants

I say right away, this is one of those games in which it is strongly not recommended to take part. Two angry rodents in your pants can quickly ruin your day. The record time for a ferret to stay in his pants is 5 hours.

11. Towel throw

In this game, the participants are divided into two teams: "throwers" and "girdle". The throwing team chooses one player, around whom the opponents gather in a round dance. The thrower must hit someone from the round dance with a towel soaked in beer. If the thrower hits, then the point is awarded to the "throwers" team. But if he misses, he drinks a certain amount of beer. The game ends when all 4 rounds have been played, or when no one is able to stay on their feet.

10. Hornussen

Hornussen is positioned as a game for farmers. It combines the features of hockey and baseball. One team launches a rubber ball called a horn with a flexible rod. In order to earn points, their opponents must hit the ball with a special racket that looks like a huge poster. Otherwise, a point is awarded to the serving team.

9. Skibob

Throughout the winter, snowboarding and skiing give us a lot of pleasure and thrill, but for beginners, riding at such breakneck speeds can lead to very unpleasant and even health-threatening consequences. However, if you are a fan of winter extreme species sports, the skibob will not leave you indifferent. Difference from others winter views sports in only one thing: instead of skiing and snowboarding, you will have a semblance of a bicycle.

8. Camel fights

Surely you have heard of cockfights, pit bull fights and even bullfights. All of the above fights are extremely brutal and usually end with the death of one of the animals. But the camel fights that are held in Turkey, fortunately, do without blood and casualties. The duel ends when one of the camels either runs away or falls to the ground.

7. Extreme ironing

The essence of this sport is very simple: you need to take an iron, ironing board and iron something in the most unexpected place. This is where pure fantasy begins. You can drive the iron on the board while skydiving, or calmly iron things while on the top of Everest. Unfortunately, there are no special sports events for extreme ironing yet, but ironers continue to show the world another crazy ways to iron things.

6. Racing on the Todd River

Have you ever seen dragon boat races that move not on water, but on land? By the way, this funny competition is called Races on the Todd River, which is held in Australia, in the town of Alice Springs. More than 20 teams are fighting for victory, among them are the names of famous corporations. All dragon boats have no bottom, so players must run in such a way as to reach the finish line without ever falling.

5. Playing trivia

Who would have thought that Winnie the Pooh could inspire people to create a new sport? Strange as it may seem, the game of Trivia has become so popular in some parts of Europe that it has even been played in world championships. Your task is to throw a wand from the bridge at the same time as other participants. The winner will be the one whose wand appears first from under the opposite side of the bridge.

4. "A real beer storm"

If you think that this is a simple bike race on a quiet afternoon, then you are very much mistaken. Everything is fine as long as these guys drive straight and hold the steering wheel firmly. By the way, as part of the annual beer festival in Central Wales, an unusual bike ride takes place. On the control points Each participant is required to drink a certain amount of alcohol. The task of the riders is to get to the finish line while being able to keep on the bike. Obviously, people with a high tolerance for alcohol have an increased chance of winning.

3. Worms Charming Competition

In the UK, worm charm is an official sport. It is so popular that every year the World Worm Charming Championship takes place in Cheshire. The rules are pretty simple. You are given a plot of land 3x3 meters, and you must lure out of the ground and collect as many worms as possible in 30 minutes. I bet this sport is perfect for those who want cheap fish bait.

2. Game of conker

The World Conker Championship is held every October in the small British village of Ashton, located in the county of Northamptonshire, where conker players from all over the world gather, the number of which exceeds three hundred. The goal of the game is to break the opponent's conker. “And what are these conkers?” - you ask. These are the fruits of horse chestnut, which are hung on a string. And the player himself must be fast and agile, otherwise his conker will be broken.

1. Bed racing

Back in 1965, bed racing was only played by the US military, but over time, this fun game has become more popular. To win, you need to be the first to cross the finish line. But there are certain rules that must be followed. First, the bed, which contains only one person, must be pushed by six participants. And secondly, the bed must float on the water, since the last stage of the race is crossing the river. Although quite often the last step is neglected.

In the modern world, more and more new sports are emerging, and some of them are simply amazing.

Many of these competitions remain in the shadows, despite the large number of devoted fans. Some of these species may be unusual, but this gives them additional flavor and makes them even more interesting.

1. Underwater hockey

This is a rather traumatic version of ice hockey with its characteristic strong pushes and collisions. Add to that the risk of being drowned, and ice hockey is child's play.

The rules of this underwater game are the same as in its hard counterpart; the only difference is that the players use banana-sized wooden or plastic clubs to push the metal puck along the bottom of the pool.

When the game becomes especially exciting, the audience is only visible to the water ripples created by the intense struggle at the bottom of the pool.

2. Sports sauna

It would seem, what kind of sport is this? However, in fact, athletes in saunas do not rest at all, but fight in endurance by the sweat of their brows, and in the literal sense. Saunas can turn out to be insidiously dangerous, and it is no coincidence that an ambulance team is always on duty at competitions.

In this sport, the recognized favorites are the Finns, only once the Russian woman managed to win the World Championship in 2009. The competitions are quite popular - in 2009 150 athletes from 22 countries took part in them. This sport is quite difficult, the participants literally wear themselves out.

After all, the sauna maintains a constant temperature of 110 degrees, and every 30 seconds gives in to steam. To do this, a liter of water is poured onto hot stones. You can not lie in the sauna, as well as lean against the walls. Eventually the participant should be able to exit the sauna on their own.

3. Throwing mobile phones

Laughter with laughter, but even the World Championship is held in throwing mobile phones. Yes, and the prize fund here is very impressive. Interestingly, the winner is determined not only by the distance of the throw, but also by the artistry of his performance.

So, in 2008, the winner was a dog that, with unprecedented grace, was able to throw the phone a few centimeters. Competitions are traditionally held in Helsinki. There is also a category of juniors, also with its own prize fund. The world record for throwing a mobile phone is now 95 meters!

Tournament organizers are attracting celebrities to popularize this sport - Naomi Campbell and Russell Crowe were planned to participate in the 2011 competition.

4. Dog sled racing without snow

For most people, dog sledding is strongly associated with winter and snow. But there is a sport in which dogs pull their teams not through the snow.

Such races are already quite untwisted. So, last championship Europe was held in the German city of Rasted. It was attended by 300 athletes from 19 countries. The Poles performed best, winning 8 medals, including 6 gold.

The closest competitors were the national teams of Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. The races themselves are held on special teams, which have wheels instead of skids.

5. Long jump on horseback

This sport even managed to participate in the Olympics! True, it was quite a long time ago - in 1900 in Paris. The meaning of the competition is quite simple - long jump. Only instead of one person, the horse jumps along with the rider.

When rewarding, then all the glory went to people, while the horses themselves did not rise to the pedestal and did not receive well-deserved fame and awards. Today, long jumps on horseback, as well as high jumps on them, are very popular in France.

And now the caring French are preparing sets of awards for horses. The winner's chic dinner includes oats, corn, peas, barley, beans, bran, beets, carrots and potatoes!

6. Sepaktakraw

Looking at this photo, you might think that this popular sport in Southeast Asia is a combination of karate and volleyball. And you are not far from the truth.

The players toss a ball made from dried palm leaves, and the game itself bears many similarities to similar team play in the West. Sepak takraw is popular in Asian countries, and in the late 80s and 90s it was even held in North America.

As in American football, sepak takraw players only pass the ball with their heads or feet. The game takes place on a court the size of a badminton court. Two teams of three players on either side of the net try to keep the ball in play for as long as possible. The scoring rules are the same as in volleyball.

7. Dancing with the dog

Dog dancing, also known as canine freestyle, is more of an art than a sport. They combine elements of training, obedience and dance.

Dancing with a dog may seem like a fun pastime to some, but it is actually a sport that pet owners in the US, UK, Japan and other countries compete in.

So, if you are looking for the perfect dance partner, we advise you to look into the encyclopedia of dog breeds.

8. Street luge

This sport combined single sled and pavement.

Participants lie down on a device like an oversized skateboard, which is able to accommodate the human body. The force of attraction does the rest of the work.

9. Quidditch

Just like in the Harry Potter books, Quidditch combines magic, athleticism, and a touch of bloodlust. Do you think that, as a sport, Quidditch simply cannot exist in reality? However, a huge number of Harry Potter fans simply won't let any laws of physics get in their way. These people without magical abilities, but not without ambition and passion, and they created their own version of Quidditch, though not so magical and dramatic.

The International Quidditch Association, founded at Middlebury College in Vermont, has grown in just a few years into a network of hundreds of teams found on every continent. The game uses the same rules and the same scoring system as in the books, with one big difference - no one flies on a broomstick.

10 Wife Drag

Running with wives (Fin. Eukonkanto) is a simple sport of Finnish origin, which looks like this: husbands overcome all sorts of obstacles with their wife hanging upside down, hugging her husband by the neck and back.

Glory is not the only prize of the winner. The lucky winners of the World Championship in Wife Drag in Sonkajärvi are waiting for a keg of beer, the weight of the winner's wife.

11. Tree cutting competition

It may seem to someone that cutting trees is a rather routine and dreary job.

However, competitions in riding on a log or cutting the tops of trees with a hot saw make real athletes out of ordinary lumberjacks. Other competitions include team relay races, tree climbing for speed, and endurance games (such as beam riding).

12. Buzkashi

This is a national game typical for the countries of Central Asia, which is played on horseback - which makes it similar to polo. But there is one serious difference between buzkashi and polo - instead of wooden clubs and a ball, participants use the carcass of a cow or goat.

A team consists of ten players, five of which are in the game at any given time. Players earn points by dragging the carcass over the opponent's goal line. Considering the fact that dead animals are involved in the game, it is not surprising that the game itself is quite wild, and there are victims among the spectators.

13. Chessbox

This sport combines the alloy of the mind and physical strength of the athlete. As a result, a person should be quite versatile, balanced and physically gifted at the same time. The first official fights took place quite recently, in 2003.

There are 11 rounds in chessboxing, with six going to chess itself and five to boxing. AT last round they just play chess. Each game lasts 4 minutes, so each opponent has 12 minutes to think about moves in the rapid chess half of the match. If the time is exceeded, the game is immediately terminated. In boxing, each round lasts 2 minutes. Between rounds, a pause of 1 minute is expected so that the athletes can put on or take off their gloves.

Victory in chessboxing is awarded either by checkmating the opponent, or by the opponent exceeding the time to think over the move, or by surrendering the opponent. In the boxing part, the knockout or stoppage of the fight by the judge due to the clear advantage of one of the parties matters.

14. Race for cheese

Today, the British are arguing with the French over who exactly invented the cheese race. The meaning of the competition is quite simple. First, all participants get to the top of the hill, then cheese is thrown and everything that is strong runs after it.

The winner is the one who catches the circle of the dairy product at the foot of the mountain. Participants can have absolutely any clothing. The winner, as the main prize, receives not only a monetary reward, but also sports equipment- cheese head weighing 3.5 kg. Although from the outside such fun seems like fun, in fact, this sport is quite traumatic - a rare race does without fractures and injuries. At one time, cheese racing in England was even banned.

After some time, the competition was again allowed, but injuries remained an integral attribute of the games.

15. Tourwrestling

Arm wrestling is known to everyone, but tour wrestling - wrestling with the use of toes, is not so famous. Athletes enter the ring and grapple thumbs legs, though their posture for the fight is rather uncomfortable. World cups in this unusual sport have been held since 1970.

Here the struggle is waged in different weight categories separately on the right and left legs. The 2010 world champion was Allen Nash, a 49-year-old man. Perhaps one of his tricks was the pungent smell of socks and feet, for which the athlete even received the nickname "nasty." But he became known to the whole world after winning the 20-minute final. The same sport is known as foot wrestling.

This sport is most loved in Asia, although it officially originated in Scotland in the Middle Ages. There, the knights loved to organize foot-wrestling tournaments during the halts of military campaigns.

Since the modern Summer Olympics began in Athens in 1896, the sporting events have changed with each game. The popularity of sports has changed, new ones have been added, and old ones have been removed from the program.

Now in London, athletes compete in 32 sports. Of these, only five Athletics, archery, swimming, gymnastics and fencing are sports activities that have been on the program of the Games since 1896.

However, not all sports have such a long history. Competition in some sports has been a series of failed experiments. Most of them lasted only one season of games and were removed from the Olympic program.

Pelota

Year of introduction: 1900

Number of Olympics: 1

Last game: 1900

According to David Goldbluth and Johnny Acton, authors of How to Watch the Olympics, pelota - quick game, in which the participants throw and catch the ball from the wall using a curved basket or other equipment. Like croquet and cricket, pelota, also called Basque pelota, was only an official Olympic sport in the 1900 Paris Games.

The only gold medals were awarded to the Spanish team of two, while the silver medal was awarded to the deuce from France. On the Olympic Games in 1992, which took place in Barcelona, ​​pelota was introduced as a demonstration sport.

tug of war

Year of introduction: 1900

Number of Olympics: 6

Last game: 1920

The tug of war was first held in 1900 at the Olympic Games in Paris. Competitions were held at six Olympic Games as part of competitions in athletics. The winners were multinational teams, with the Danish-Swedish team winning in 1900 and the German-Swiss team winning in 1906.

During the 1908 Games in London, when British teams won gold, silver and bronze medals, controversy arose after an American coach blamed the use of special shoes for his team's defeat.

Polo

Year of introduction: 1900

Number of Olympics: 5

Last game: 1936

The ancient game of polo, which draws its origins from China, Iran and India, was first introduced as olympic style sport in Paris in 1900. Due to a shortage of qualified players, the game featured four mixed groups of men from Mexico, England, Spain, France and the United States.

At the 1904 Olympics, the game was not entered due to the expense of transporting horses over long distances. The United States did not field a team for the same reason in 1908 London. In 1924, Games debutant Argentina won gold against the United States. At the 1936 Olympics, Argentina again won gold medal after an 11-0 score against England.

Croquet

Year of introduction: 1900

Number of Olympics: 1

Last game: 1900

Croquet is a sport game in which the participants use wooden hammers to pass balls through wire gates placed on the court in a certain order. The game can be played by 2 to 8 people. The balls are distributed equally between the players: one, two or four.

Croquet was introduced as an official sport only once - during the 1900 Olympics in Paris. Medals were awarded for both one-ball and two-ball competitions. All six medals individual competitions were won by France, as well as gold in doubles. The competition was also the first Olympic event to feature women.

Cricket

Year of introduction: 1900

Number of Olympics: 1

The game was originally supposed to be part of the program for the first Olympics in 1896, but was pushed back due to a lack of participants. In 1900, cricket as an Olympic sport was played in Paris by only two participating teams from Great Britain and France, as the teams from Belgium and the Netherlands were withdrawn from the competition.

Great Britain fielded a team that consisted mainly of members of the Devon County Wanderers Club, many of whose members were on tour in France. The French team included many British expatriates who lived in Paris and competed in the Olympics under the name "All Paris".

Golf

Year of introduction: 1900

Number of Olympics: 2

Last game: 1904

Golf spread from Scotland to the rest of the United Kingdom and then to the British Empire and the United States of America in the late 19th century. Gradually, golf began to be played everywhere in the British Isles. In 1880, there were 12 golf courses in Britain, and in 1887 there were up to 1,000. Golf competitions at the Summer Olympics took place at only two Olympics - 1900 and 1904 - and were then canceled. In 1904, women, in comparison with past competitions, lost the right to participate in competitions.

There were votes on the adoption of this sport for the 2012 Summer Olympics, but then this proposal was rejected. Then golf was included in the list of candidates for inclusion in the program of the 2016 Summer Olympics and was accepted at the 121st session of the IOC on October 9, 2009 (63 votes against 27).

Roque

Year of introduction: 1904

Number of Olympics: 1

Last game: 1904

The only time roque was introduced as an Olympic sport was in St. Louis in 1904. Roque was considered a simplified Americanized version English game to croquet. It was developed by Samuel Crosby, who came up with the name by dropping the letters "K" and "T" in the word "croquet".

The game was played on a hard court, in addition to croquet, it had separate aspects from billiards and golf. The only participants in the competition were the Americans.

The sport remained popular in the United States for several decades after its introduction to the Olympics, due in part to the large number of playing areas built during public works during the Great Depression era.

The game is mentioned by writer Stephen King in his novel The Shining, when main character, Jack Torrance, uses Roque's hammer as a weapon.

Lacrosse

Year of introduction: 1904

Number of Olympics: 2

Last game: 1908

Lacrosse was played at the 1904 St. Louis Games and the 1908 London Games, although it was included as a demonstration sport rather than an official Olympic event in 1928, 1932, and 1948. In 1904, Canada sent two teams, as athletes who competed in the Olympics were registered as individuals. One of these Canadian teams then won gold, and the second - bronze.

Racing on motor boats

Year of introduction: 1908

Number of Olympics: 1

Last game: 1908

Powerboat racing appeared in Olympic schedule only once, in 1908 at the games in London. They were not included in the program again because the rules of the Olympic Charter forbid sports that rely on mechanized traction. The three powerboat races consisted of five laps of 15 kilometers. France won gold in the open class and Great Britain won gold in the six to eight meter boat race and the 18 meter boat class.

rackets

Year of introduction: 1908

Number of Olympics: 1

Last game: 1908

The racket game is similar to modern game in squash. However, there are some differences, including in inventory. The game has its origins in 18th century Britain, where debtors imprisoned entertained themselves as best they could. In 1908, only athletes from Great Britain took part in the games in London. True, the final of the game did not take place due to an injury to the hand of one of the participants.

Art

Year of introduction: 1912

Number of Olympics: 7

Last game: 1948

In Stockholm in 1912, art competitions were included in the program of the Olympic Games. It was part of the idea of ​​Pierre de Coubertin - the founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. Later, at the 1912 Games, De Coubertin won the gold medal in literature.

In 1948, 25 countries sent artists to London to compete in architecture, painting, sculpture, literature and music. This was the last time there were art competitions at the Olympics. Since most of the artists were professionals, this was contrary to the then IOC statute and the competition was withdrawn from the program of the Olympic Games.

Mountaineering

Year of introduction: 1932

Number of Olympics: 2

Last game: n/a

In 1924, at the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix, the first awarding of winners in mountaineering competitions took place. Interestingly, there was no traditional competition at the Games, as the Games were in session mode. Medals were awarded to individuals or groups that achieved the most notable feats in mountaineering or in previous games. The first medals were awarded to members of the unsuccessful 1922 British expedition to Mount Everest.

Seven medals were issued posthumously.

In 1936, two Olympic medals. After this event, there was a lull. Only in 1988, at the Games in Calgary, climbers Reinhold Messner and Jerzy Kukuczka were awarded for the successful conquest of fourteen peaks of 8,000 meters each.

Aeronautics

Year of introduction: 1936

Number of Olympics: 1

Last game: 1936

The Swiss Hermann Schreiber probably felt he had a good chance of winning a gold medal ahead of the aeronautics (aeronautics) competition at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. After all, he was the only participant in the sport. The event involved a glider, which was launched from a cable.

Although aeronautics is considered a demonstration sport and not a competitive sport, nevertheless, the International Olympic Committee approved the events for the 1940 Olympics, which were planned to be held in Tokyo. Second World War confused the cards. Therefore, Schreiber is still the only competitor in aeronautics.

Baseball

Year of introduction: 1992

Number of Olympics: 5

Last game: 2008

The first written mention of baseball dates back to 1846, when the first official baseball game was played in New Jersey. Then most of the rules were taken from the English game "rounders". Professional games began in the USA in 1869, and the national league was formed in 1876. Then the game spread very slowly in Europe, primarily in Italy and France, and after the 2nd World War - in Asia. Now baseball is played in more than 120 countries around the world. Baseball more often than other sports was included in the program of the Games in the status demonstration performances However, in 1992, at the games in Barcelona, ​​medals were played for the first time in this sport. At the IOC meeting in July 2005, baseball and softball (the women's version of baseball) were stripped of their Olympic sport status. The regulation came into force with the 2012 London Olympics.