Why is kickboxing not an olympic sport but judo and taekwando is?
What Makes a Sport ‘Olympic’? by Tamim Ansary I won’t be suiting up for the Olympics any time soon–not that I’ve gone professional, mind you: No, my amateur standing is still very, very safe. It’s just that my best event is surfing, which is not an Olympic sport. I’m talking about channel surfing, but it would be the same with the other kind. Some sports are Olympic and some aren’t. For example: Boxing is. Kickboxing isn’t. Water polo is. Polo isn’t. Rhythmic gymnastics, yes. Aerobic dancing, nyet. Discus throw is a go. Cow chip hurling, no. What makes some sports Olympic? It all goes back to tradition. The ancient roots Ask Encarta and you’ll learn that the Olympic Games are a revival of an ancient Greek festival that started in 776 BC. Those games differed a bit from ours. There were fewer events, many of which mimicked what you’d do in battle if you were an ancient Greek. For example: In a battle you might … The ancient Olympic Games featured … ride people down with your horse
