Why do the Olympics have the events they have? Why don’t they
have swimming obstacle races, croquet, rugby or native mud
fighting? The answer is that they once did. Nowadays, the
International Olympic Committee reviews the program for the
games every four years and suggests only minor adjustments. And
so we always have track-and-field athletics, swimming,
gymnastics and a steady roll call of 26-28 other sports. Such
was not always the case. Until the mid-1920s, the events were
chosen ad hoc by the local organizing committees. Since the
first modern Olympics were held in 1896, only track-and-field
athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics and swimming have been
on the program every time. Even within those sports, the events
have varied widely. The Olympics of 1900 and 1904 share the
honor of hosting the most unusual sports to have been included.
The reason was that both games were held as sideshows to world
fairs — the Paris Exposition of 1900 and the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition of 1904 — and therefore lasted