Ultimate waits for Olympic moment?
By Victor Mather / New York Times News Service
Published Aug 5, 2015 at 12:08AM
It is a great moment for undergrads hanging out on college quads everywhere. Ultimate Frisbee has been officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
But this does not mean that the sport — commonly known as simply “ultimate” — will take its place in the Summer Games alongside venerable sports like track, basketball and synchronized swimming.
Ultimate instead joins a ragtag group of sports that are “recognized” but not actually in the Olympics.
In June, the IOC chose eight of these as candidates to be added to the 2020 Games: baseball/softball, bowling, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, surfing and wushu, a martial art. The choice will be made next summer, and in all likelihood only one or two will make the cut.
That leaves ultimate on a still lower tier that includes sports like American football, auto racing, chess and sumo.
Here is a look at 10 of those IOC-recognized sports, any of which could, theoretically, be as big as, well, team handball.
Air sports
What is it? A wide variety of sports taking place in the air, including parachuting, hang gliding, ballooning and airplane racing.
Who is the Babe Ruth of the sport? Larry Tudor was known as Part Bird for his hang gliding feats in the 1980s.
Who will get the medals if it joins the games? The wealthiest European countries and the United States hold most of the records in these expensive sports.
Is there a movie about it? Phileas Fogg (David Niven) begins his journey “Around the World in 80 Days” (1956) in a balloon, although he soon changes his mode of transport.
Bandy
What is it? Ice hockey on a much larger rink with more players.
Who is its Babe Ruth? Peter the Great was said to have been an enthusiast.
Who will get the medals? Russia and Sweden dominate competition for both men and women.
Is there a movie? Not really, but a character in “There Will Be Blood” (2007) is named Bandy.
Boules
What is it? Also called bocce, bowls, or pétanque, it involves rolling balls as close as possible to another ball.
Who is its Babe Ruth? Umberto Granaglia, who won 13 world titles.
Who will get the medals? At the last World Games, an event featuring non-Olympic sports, France and Italy won the men’s gold medals, as you might expect, while China picked up two women’s golds.
Is there a movie? “Blackball” (2003) features Vince Vaughn as the agent of a bad boy British bowls player.
Bridge
What is it? A card game played by partners.
Who is its Babe Ruth? The actor Omar Sharif was a top-level bridge player and author.
Who will get the medals? The United States and Western Europe dominate the Bermuda Bowl, the most prestigious event. Bridge could also bring Monaco a chance for its first Olympic medal.
Is there a movie? “Grand Slam” (1933) starred Paul Lukas and Loretta Young. “It is not an attempt to elucidate the fine points of the game, but merely a popular entertainment,” said The New York Times.
Dance sport
What is it? Competitive ballroom dancing.
Who is its Babe Ruth? Arunas Bizokas and Katusha Demidova, a Lithuanian and a Russian now representing the United States, have won seven consecutive world titles.
Who will get the medals? The United States, if Bizokas and Demidova are still active.
Is there a movie? “Strictly Ballroom” (1992) and “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012).
Floorball
What is it? Indoor hockey using a plastic ball with holes.
Who is its Babe Ruth? Mika Kohonen has been voted best player in the world five times.
Who will get the medals? Sweden or Finland.
Is there a movie? According to an IMDB summary of the short film “Onnelliset läskit” (2010): “Little Esa is a talented floor ballplayer who is worshipped by his father. After a well-played game, Esa accidentally bumps into Elvis. The singer instantly becomes Esa’s one and only idol.”
Life saving
What is it? Several events that test lifeguard skills, including swimming under obstacles, recovering a submerged dummy from underwater and pulling a teammate by a rope. Events can take place in a pool or in the ocean.
Who is its Babe Ruth? Cornelia Carl of Germany holds the longest standing world record, in the stillwater boat event.
Who will get the medals? Australia, especially in the open water events.
Is there a movie? Although lifeguards have played key roles in movies and in “Baywatch,” competitive life saving awaits its definitive cinematic treatment.
Netball
What is it? Basketball without backboards, played chiefly by women.
Who is its Babe Ruth? Irene van Dyk of New Zealand has won her country’s sportswoman of the year award and is the most capped player in netball history.
Who will get the medals? Australia and New Zealand dominate.
Is there a movie? In the Patrick Dempsey romantic comedy “Made of Honor” (2008), a Scotsman who has only netball experience dominates some Americans in a pickup basketball game.
Pelota vasca
What is it? The term covers a variety of Spanish court sports. One variant is the sport known as jai alai, which can be bet on in Florida.
Who is its Babe Ruth? Mariano Juaristi Mendizábal, known as Atano III, dominated the sport in the 1940s.
Who will get the medals? Spain, of course, but Argentina, Mexico and France have also collected many world championship medals.
Is there a movie? “Pelota” (1983), a documentary, features Atano III and other greats of the game.
Tug of war
What is it? Two sides tug on a rope until one wins. It was included in the Olympics from 1900 to 1920.
Who is its Babe Ruth? Edgar Aaybe was a Danish journalist covering the 1900 Olympics when he was asked to join the Swedish team. They won.
Who will get the medals? Western European teams for men. Taiwan has won numerous women’s gold medals at the World Games.
Is there a movie about it? “Made of Honor,” the movie that gave a shout out to netball, also includes a tug of war scene. All it needs is Patrick Dempsey playing jai alai to be complete.