Friday, August 5, 2016

5-Minute 2016 Summer Olympics Viewing Guide

It's almost that time again (well, technically, that time started Wednesday, but it officially starts tonight) The time when many of the world's greatest athletes in several different disciplines gather to compete on a world stage.  There are so many different sports and events, sometimes it may be overwhelming. Plus, it's been four years since the last Summer Olympics, which is a long time (to put in perspective how long ago it was, it was four years ago). So I'm here to give some suggestions of sports you could tune into over the next few weeks. To see when and where you can watch everything, click here.




If You Like Excitement and Drama...

Swimming
Watch this and tell me it's not exciting:


By the way, one of the guys on that relay team is looking to add to his all-time record 22 medals in Rio.

Volleyball
It's pretty entertaining to watch a nonstop sequence of people diving and jumping to set, spike, and block a ball over a net.

If You Like Trying New Things...

Water Polo
If you're unfamiliar with water polo, it's basically like soccer, except the competitors are in a pool, use their hands, and try to push each other underwater (so maybe it's not anything like soccer).



Handball
Like water polo, handball (we're talking team handball, not the other handball) is a sport where teams try to score in each other's goals. Unlike water polo, the ball is closer to the size of a baseball than a volleyball, and it's pretty fast-paced. I think handball may be the most underrated Olympic sport.



If You Want To Watch Something You Didn't See in 2012...

Golf
Golf makes its return to the Olympics for the first time in 112 years, although many of the world's best players, including Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, and Jordan Speith, won't be competing.

Rugby
This is the Olympic debut for Rugby Sevens, and both the men's and women's U.S. teams look to be medal contenders.

If You Like Yoga...

Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a must-watch during the Olympics, especially with the talented women's U.S. team, headed by world-beater Simone Biles.




Diving
The things some of these athletes do while falling multiple meters toward water is impressive (especially in synchronized diving, where two divers have to match up with each other as much as possible).

If You Like Horses...

Equestrian 
Equestrian may not be the most fun sport to watch (it's basically just horses trotting around and jumping over things), but, as far as I know, it is the only Olympic sport that involves horses, so it has that going for it.

If You Like Watching People Run Like Horses...

Track & Field
Average top speed of a horse: 25-30 miles per hour.
Top speed of Usain Bolt: 27.8 miles per hour.

Those are just a few of the sports you can tune in to. Those who like watching people beat on each other, there's wrestling (Freestyle and Greco-Roman), boxing, Judo, and Taekwondo (I honestly don't know the differences between the last two). If you're more into watching people poke each other with sticks, check out fencing. If you like the X Games, there is BMX biking. And If you want a near-guarantee (nothing's guaranteed, of course) of an American gold, basketball (men's and women's), and anything Biles and swimmer Katie Ledecky are in, are pretty good bets. Other sports include archery, shooting, field hockey, boating (whether it be in a canoe, a kayak, or a sailboat), badminton, and, yes, table tennis. And if you're really bored, there is also a speed-walking race




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