How come there's so many d**n medals in swimming events?

Question

really, i mean USA won 31 medals in swimming only, and that can make any country win the olympics for one sport, and olympics is supposed to be about diversity of sports

Answer 1

You're right, send some feedback to the IOC, they have been shaking up the sports lineup lately and this one is long overdue. Swimming has about 4 times as many medals as it should, simply because along with the stroke almost everyone uses in real life (sidestroke, or freestyle) every distance has a version of three slower strokes that almost nobody uses at all, except backstroke. But nobody in real life chooses backstroke over sidestroke to swim somewhere fast. Backstroke is what you see people doing leisurely laps in the neighborhood pool. None of the other strokes make any sense for racing because they are so significantly slower than freestyle.

Then you have not only the freestyle relays, but relays for each stroke, and then the mixed-stroke relays. It is pretty silly, applied to athletics you'd be seeing Usain Bolt returning not for the 200 yet but for the 100 meters backwards, the 100 meters hopping on one foot and finally the 100 meter handstand run.

It goes way back to when the olympics first started, back in the 19th century. Swimming was one of the original olympic sports and was a sport that had little competitive, organized history. Maybe they didn't realize then that the strokes were so different in their speed. But they should now.

As for shooting in three positions, that's ok because in real life, there are situations where you have to shoot standing or kneeling instead of shooting prone. So the 3-position thing is for best overall shooter. Table tennis has only 4 total golds, 2 individual and 2 team, and is a very athletic sport with great positioning, eye-hand coordination, reflexes and precision body movements.

No other sport gets nearly as many medals as swimming or athletics, but in athletics it makes sense because it combines so many different things: running, jumping far, jumping high, vaulting, and throwing things. The number of medals in any one of those things is way less than the total swimming medals. Swimming is way overvalued and its medals should be reduced.

Answer 2

I've always thought that they should swim several different distances, and perhaps a couple of relays, but to have races where you swim the butterfly or the breaststroke, or whatever.. well, it would be sort of like having a bunch of 100 m dashes.. one where you run normally, one where you have to run backwards, one where you have to hop on one foot, etc.  

C'mon, pick some distances, and say "Now... Swim!"  However you can get there the fastest.. Aussie crawl or dog paddle.

Answer 3

Every country has the chance to win those medals.

Swimming accounts for only 34 of the 302 Gold Medals available.

Answer 4

wonder why nobody ever mentions shooting competitions.

assume most can compete in all they want.

(not very exhausting, at least physically)

...probably because the US sucks at it.

Men can compete in ten events including 50m rifle three positions (prone, standing, kneeling); 50m rifle prone; 10m air rifle; 50m pistol; 25m rapid fire pistol; 10m air pistol; 10m running target; Trap (shotgun); Double Trap (shotgun); and Skeet (shotgun)

The women have seven events: 50m rifle three positions (prone, standing, kneeling); 10m air rifle; 25m pistol; 10m air pistol; Trap (shotgun); Double Trap (shotgun); and Skeet (shotgun).

Answer 5

Because there are so many different ways to swim

Answer 6

Why do there have to be so many rowing medals?  Why do they have to have medals for silly ping pong and badminton?  Why not have medals for Billiards?

Answer 7

swimming and track and field both have many events within the sport compared to volleyball, fencing, etc where there may only be one or two.  

Answer 8

34 medals up for grabs in swimming events, compared to 47 medals in "athletics" (that's track and field)...

Answer 9

phelps was the difference take him out and they have not done that well

but i would not want that because he was a pleasure to watch

Answer 10

yes, i totally agree with u, swimming is unrealistically celebrated and larvished with golds. thats the only way phelps can win 8 golds in one games. a lightweight boxer doesnt have the same oppotuinity.he has to be in 8 different olympics.

swimming races shld be reduced or merged