Do you consider sailing in the Olympic Games . . . ‘a continuing sop to super-rich men who founded the Games and still just really love yachts’.
Well that is the opinion of The Irish Times which is calling for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to cut Sailing, among a number of other sports, from the 2028 Games.
It’s case against sailing is that it is basically, ‘inaccessible to most of the countries in the world, even the ones with a viable coastline. Plus it is basically unwatchable as a spectator sport, liable to be postponed if there is either no wind or too much wind, and has a set of penalty rules indecipherable to all but the most avid boat people.’
But would those ‘super-rich founders’ recognise the modern version?
Not a yacht or even a keelboat in sight, and five events involving foils and two using giant kites to propel them at speeds in excess of 30 knots.
It has to be said that some of the other ‘sports’ picked-on by the Irish Times are on shakey ground.
Not that it will stop the IOC’s further addition of anything that promises greater social media coverage.
Los Angelas ’28 is dropping breaking and adding six new sports: baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash.
