The Olympics have always done a great job at gathering the best athletes around the world to compete for gold. It’s easy to not fully grasp just how great these athletes are which is why I’d love to see them throw in the average person into every competition (with the exception to those that can get people seriously hurt) and have those people compete with the worlds best.

This person would need to accept beforehand that there would be no chance for them but instead help showcase the difference. Hell, they could even be given participation medals.

Thoughts?

  • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    4·
    5 months ago

    I’m afraid it might have been Jerry Seinfeld, but I remember a comedian doing a bit about this that involved the phrase “involuntary luge.” That they’d pressgang people off the street to do Olympic games. “Come on sir.” “No, I don’t want to do the luge.”

  • morphballganon@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
    4·
    5 months ago

    I mean, just throw in additional segments showing the attempt, separately. Then compare scores. Oh, your run took 55 seconds compared to 1st place’s 18 seconds huh?

    Having them run at the same time could be seen as unfairly giving a country two contestants.

  • Monkey With A Shell@lemmy.socdojo.comEnglish
    2·
    5 months ago

    An interesting idea, but I doubt the TV folks go for it. You would have events taking much longer and need more cameras or crazy distant shots to show the presumed gap they would have. Just be a pain to show.

  • Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works
    2·
    5 months ago

    I believe that the organizing committee for Paris Olympic plans a Marathon for all which is a Marathon open to the general public (so something like able to finish a Marathon in 6h) with a neat parcours like Eifel tower, Versailles castle and back.

    That said, is someone able to finish a Marathon a random person or not?. Now, anyone is able to run. However, most of us would just be a danger for ourselves or the others in a judo, diving, climbing, skating event

    • achille225@jlai.lu
      2·
      5 months ago

      I can answer that ! I tried to get a place for the marathon, and there were some prerequisites : to be selected, you needed to be able to run a semi-marathon.