There is an obscure clause in the Olympic Games rulebook. WLBOTT, as a first time nation-state participant, is allowed to introduce an unlimited number of Demonstration Events. We plan to leverage this clause to our full advantage.
First, a little dull background
A demonstration sport, or exhibition sport, is a sport which is played to promote it, rather than as part of standard medal competition. This occurs commonly during the Olympic Games, but may also occur at other sporting events.
Demonstration sports were officially introduced in the 1924 Summer Olympics, though some scholars consider unofficial sports prior to 1924 to also be demonstrations. Most organizing committees then decided to include at least one demonstration sport at each edition of the Games, usually some typical or popular sport in the host country, like baseball at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and taekwondo at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. From 1924 to 1992, only two Summer Olympics Games did not have demonstration sports on their program. Some demonstration sports eventually gained enough popularity to become an official sport in a subsequent edition of the Games. Traditionally, the medals awarded for the demonstration events followed the same design as the Olympic medals, but of a smaller size. They are never included in the medal count.
Wikipedia
WLBOTT Demonstration Sports
Wife Carrying
Confession: this has never been an Olympic sport. But I was recently talking to a yoga and cycling student of mine, and he informed me that he’s an American champion wife-carrier. He’s currently training for the world championships in Finland. And it is simply amazing. For 253.5 meters you carry a woman, who weighs at least 49 kilograms—if underweight she’s burdened with a rucksack—across two dry obstacles and one water obstacle. Prizes are not only given for the best time, but also for costumes and the most entertaining couple. Bonus: you don’t actually have to be married. An official rule is that you must enjoy yourself. How this incredible sport has slipped by the Olympics committee is beyond me, but obviously, it’s time that changed.
Big Think / Derek Beres
It’s a quirky and fun sport that originated in Finland. In this event, male competitors race while carrying a female teammate through an obstacle course. The sport has its roots in Finnish history and folklore and has gained popularity, even having its own annual World Championship. The carrying techniques can vary, with the most popular being the “Estonian carry,” where the woman hangs upside-down with her legs around the man’s shoulders.
Elder G
Beer Can Stacking (UC#1’s Specialty)
Egg and Spoon Race
The Pre-Race Blessing
Rubber Chicken Shot Put
Miscellaneous Events
Of Special Note: Spaghetti Building – Structure using Uncooked Spaghetti and Marshmallows
One of the many pleasures of working on WLBOTT is learning new things on a daily basis.
Today we learned that the original design of the Egyptian pyramids called for uncooked spaghetti.
An Historical Phenomena
There is a long historical tradition for building structures from spaghetti, from the cave men, ancient Romans and Greeks, through modern society.
As you may recall from Pride and Prejudice, spaghetti structure skills were as important to a young woman’s upbringing as needlepoint and fainting on command.
Many Peoples, Many Cultures: One Spaghetti Structure Event to Unite Them All
Unable to Compete
Due to a restrictive and ill-advised non-disclosure agreement, WLBOTT is unable to participate in any of the following sporting events:
