Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler London 2012 Summer Olympics

Being a former coxswain, rowing is my favorite sport to watch. It's easily the most difficult sport in the Olympics (particularly the men's 8).

You really think that? Try taking a pommel horse handle to the nads.

I think ANYTHING at that level of competition is at the same level of difficulty. Being the best at anything in the world isn't going to be cake, is it?

Well, Cam did have some personal experience with rowing, so it has to be "easily" the most difficult sport.

Try taking a pommel horse handle to the nads.

Well, Cam did have some personal experience with rowing, so it has to be "easily" the most difficult sport.

A moment of silence.

Why no golf, no baseball, no softball?

Peter, on a very basic level, a sport that relies on the precise synchronization of eight people, is far more difficult than the independent performance of one.

But seeing as you brought it up, try "catching a crab" while rowing. That's when one of your oars catches the water whilst in your backstroke, thus swinging back and hitting in the chest or face (the force usually knocks you out of the boat).

Of the summer sports, I also played football, judo, mountain biking, badminton, baseball and lacrosse (the latter two are no longer in the Olympics). No bias, just informed.

As with all sports, the difficult part is the training: the grueling schedule to push the endurance and strength of the human body further, the personal sacrifices made to dedicate a significant portion of your life to the possible attainment of fleeting glory. This experience is not unique to rowing.

Of the summer sports, I also played football, judo, mountain biking, badminton, baseball and lacrosse (the latter two are no longer in the Olympics). No bias, just informed.

Naturally, you're informed about your personal experiences, but it comes off as arrogant and dismissive to say that all the other olympic sports are less difficult than rowing. Can you not see that?

most people could learn to row a boat or swim the breaststroke for example. Compare that to the pommel horse, balance beam, vault or rings. The learning curve and the combination of speed, strength, coordination, finesse, timing, pure born gymnastic athleticism would be too much for large majority of people to even execute a basic move of that particular gymnastic event. I'm totally blown away by the athletes on the rings. I'm amazed at the stress the upper body (tendons) can take with that event.

Question - is their another Olympic sport that consistently uses every muscle in your body?

The chances of a catastrophic failure at the highest level of competition seems much more likely in gymnastics than in any other sport. I mean, there is "faster and slower", but when gymnasts don't perform to their peak, they fall on their faces. Much smaller margin of error between excellence, competence and failure.

I once paddled in a Davy Crockett Explorer Canoe and it was easily the hardest thing I did at Disneyland that day.

The chances of a catastrophic failure at the highest level of competition seems much more likely in gymnastics than in any other sport. I mean, there is "faster and slower", but when gymnasts don't perform to their peak, they fall on their faces. Much smaller margin of error between excellence, competence and failure.

Off the top of my head:

Water Polo
Swimming
Judo
Wrestling
Gymnastics
Kayaking
Pole Vault
High Jump
Long Jump
Triple Jump
Javelin
Discus
Hammer Toss
Shot Put
Hurdles
Volleyball
Basketball
Weightlifting

Rowing is a great and physically grueling sport -- don't get me wrong -- but your extraordinary claim that it is "easily the most difficult sport in the Olympics" requires extraordinary support.

I can hear Cam all the way from here, shouting, "You're not helping my argument!!!"

I guarantee that the moment anyone first sat in a single skulls boat you'll tip over into the drink.

This didn't happen when a bunch of IT geeks I work with sat in a skull for the first time. As a matter of fact, not a single boat tipped over the entire time we were out on the water.

Didn't happen on my day, either. Now, the big guys all thought they had to pull as hard as possible, and very few in my boat actually had any rhythm, but we didn't go in the drink. Thank god we didn't, since we were in the Anacostia...

Tom, I'm in full agreement with you. The margin of error is minute in gymnastics, but in rowing it's minute, too. Literally all it takes is for one of the eight rowers to shift his/her balance by looking to the side, and it sets the whole boat off. I also think the margin of error is just as small in kayaking, and most, if not all of the "inner grounds" track events like pole vault, javelin etc.

Honestly, rowing is a sport that doesn't get it's due because it's just.....rowing a boat. It was the least appreciated sport in highschool. Students would tease me for being on the team because they didn't think it was challenging. People just don't know how demanding it is because the technical aspects of it aren't in the forefront like they are with gymnastics and other sports. I guarantee that the moment anyone first sat in a single skulls boat you'll tip over into the drink.



My "extraordinary" opinion doesn't require any support, and neither does BJ1's opinion that gymnastics is the most difficult sport. Notice that I didn't tell him he's wrong, nor did I criticize his belief.

I appreciate all sports and the athletes amazing achievements, but that list just isn't factual. All sports require the use of various muscles at varying times, but very few (BJ1 said swimming, and I could see that being the case with the breaststroke for sure) sports in the Olympics (and in general) demand the entire body for the entirety of the game/event.

Interestingly enough, a lot of sports implement the rowing erg into their training regiment because it's a very tough, rewarding full body workout.

That's my opinion.

I will not be viewing any of the Olympics, just as I did for our local games 2 years ago - my little protest I guess.

Given the world's dire economic situation where most counties are financially broke, I think that The Olympics have become a needless & costly white elephant.

Greece, an essentially bankrupt country, held the last Summer Olympics & spent billions that they obviously didn't have. How is Greece doing today?

Two years ago in BC we spent over $7 billion that we didn't have on the Winter Games - money that we'll never fully recover. Amazing considering that we are $50+ billion in provincial debt & increasing by the minute; however, we did acquire a nice multi-million dollar Speed Skating Oval Complex & Bob Sled Track that 99% of our population will never see nor set foot into. It's comforting to note, however, that the waiting list for a MRI procedure in BC is about a year - unless you're an athlete or some other elite of course.

The UK has now spent billions that it doesn't have as it too is an economic basket case - & look at the scores of empty seats!

I understand that Toronto is considering applying to hold the 2020 (or so) games - this with Ontario presently being over $200 billion in debt. Give your heads a shake down there.

Its time to rethink this whole Olympic thing. From the arrogance of the IOC elites to the constant widespread cheating including drug enhancement & doping etc, I believe that the games today are largely tainted.

Furthermore, there's the horrific security concerns with their ensuing staggering costs.

Sorry to rain on the multi-billion dollar parade, but it is sure an exorbitantly expensive reason to have a party every couple of years...

TAM

For stuff that I enjoy, I just try to maximize my enjoyment out of it.

I think the problem is government deficit spending, which fundamentally undermines the market economics angle. There's nothing "we can't afford". And the ego wants to afford the big party.

Amen to that. And for stuff that I don't enjoy, I try not to dwell upon it.

I don't care about the politics either. It's the outrageous expenditures of taxpayer funds that have to be borrowed and/or printed to pay for these events that bothers me. Case in point, Montreal finally paid off their $1.5 billion debt for the 1976 Olympic Stadium in 2006 - 30 years!!

It takes many people 30 years to pay off their mortgage too. Probably not relevant to the topic...just sayin'.

We do choose to purchase a house and assume a mortgage. We don't have a say in where our dept creating tax dollars go.

Purchasing a house and going into dept shouldn't be considered an outrageous expenditure. Try telling that to a homeless person.

I was just making a point that sometimes 30 years doesn't seem that long when it comes to paying off debts.

Have you been watching Star Trek marathons, Cam? I wish we could have a society free of money, but I don't see that coming any time soon.

Women's soccer team defeats Japan, 2 to 1, for the gold medal. Very exciting game. Bravo to the USA women's soccer team. You've made us proud!!!!!!!!!!!!

If there is one sport Americans could care less about it is soccer.

{{SNIPPED}} kind of a black hole of soccer love.....after years of sucking up all that soccer love.....contains more soccer love than any of us.... he will suck up more soccer love than he can contain and erupt into a fiery new universe of soccer love.

All I could think of was Fat Head's and beer.