Another controversial sport might end up being axed from the next Olympics
Following the news that breakdancing has been scrapped from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the fate of another (and arguably much more popular) sport is now hanging in the balance.
Australian breakdancer Raygun went viral following her routine which saw her score a flat zero from the judges.
She has since spoken out about the forthcoming absence of breaking from the 2028 Olympics.
Breakdancing has been scrapped
Raygun said: "It was disappointing it was decided that it wouldn’t be in LA, particularly before we even had a chance to show it.
"That was possibly a little premature. I wonder if they’re kicking themselves now?
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"What is an Olympic sport? What are the similarities between dressage and artistic swimming and the 100m sprint and the pentathlon?
"Breaking is clearly athletic, it clearly requires a whole level of dedication across a number of different aspects.
"It’s really bringing a new level of excitement."
However, it's not just breakdancing being scrapped that people are shocked over after this year's Olympics - it's the potential for another sport to be axed that has people talking.
Boxing faces the axe
After a controversial bout of boxing at this year's Olympics, the sport is up for review, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The sport has featured at every Summer Olympic Games since its introduction at the 1904 Games - bar once in 1912.
This year, the IOC cut all ties with the International Boxing Association (IBA) in regards to funding and governance - something which the IBA called a 'tremendous error' as per Reuters.
And during the Paris Games, Algerian fighter, Imane Khelif, faced some opposition after it was revealed that the IBA had disqualified her and Taiwanese boxer, Lin Yi Tung, from the 2023 World Championships for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests.
They were both permitted to fight at the Olympics.
The misinformation being spread online and social media trolling led to Khelif speaking out against bullying, as well as her father coming to her aid publicly.
Ultimately, Khelif won gold.
And according to the IOC, there must be a 'credible, well-governed International Federation' in place for boxing to return for the 2028 Olympics.
The IOC said: "It is therefore already clear that any boxer whose National Federation adheres to the IBA will not be able to participate in the Olympic Games LA28. The respective National Olympic Committees will have to exclude such a National Boxing Federation from its membership."
They have delayed any announcements on their decision on whether or not boxing will be included into the schedule until 2025 - and there's always a chance it could be pushed back further, according to the Daily Mail.
The most bizarre, discontinued Olympic sports
Painting
Back in the day, the Olympics also awarded medals for art, with events including painting and sculpture, music, architecture, and even literature.
Making its debut at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm and continuing until the 1948 London Games, juries awarded competitors a total of 151 medals for artistic projects inspired by sport.
Tug of War
I bet you didn't think this playground classic was once part of the Olympics, did you?
Well, it turns out that not only was the sport popular, but it stirred up a lot of drama, too—with accusations of foul play flying around at the 1908 Olympics in London, with Team USA accusing Team GB of cheating due to their 'illegal' heavy footwear.
A mainstay for around five Olympic games from 1900 to 1920, Tug of War enthusiasts have even campaigned for organisers to reintroduce the retired sport back into the Games.
Hot Air Balloon Racing
Launching at the 1900 Olympics, hot air balloon drivers competed in races, scoring how far they could travel, the altitude they reached, their ability to land within the correct coordinates, and—to top it all off—who got the best photo from the balloon.
The sport ended up being canned after a ban on motorised sports was brought in.
Live Pigeon Shooting
Also making its debut at the 1900 Olympics, the event was pretty self-explanatory—a load of pigeons were released into the air as the competitor tried to shoot as many as possible. Grim.
The event only appeared at the Games once, and it's estimated that Olympic hopefuls killed around 300 pigeons in total.
Pistol Duelling
It doesn't take much guessing as to why this event was scrapped, but back in 1906, people didn't bat an eyelid at competitors waving pistols around and shooting at each other.
It began with competitors shooting at dummies, but two years later, the organizers decided to shake things up and have them shoot at each other with wax bullets. Ouch.
1908 would be the last time the sport was included in the Olympics, so I'm guessing they quickly realised it was a bad idea - wax bullets or not.
Kya Buller