What sport do you think is the most demanding?
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Biathlon.
It combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, both standing upright, and lain down.
You’re skiing for your live, the others are behind you.
Then you lay down, heartbeat 300, and you must aim for the bull’s eye, shoot, and do it four times more.
Get up, ski another few miles, and shoot five times again, now whilst standing upright, heartbeat 330.
Repeat the two cycles.
If you miss you must ski an additional 200 meters (per missed shot (on an oval, near the shooting range).
The others don’t wait.
Collect your medal.
@rebbel -C’mon! How hard is it to slide on snow?? Just kidding :)
That does sound grueling & the idea that one has to go an additional 200 meters per missed shot is awesome.
My initial thoughts on this question was that basketball seems pretty demanding.Always moving.
Then I thought,maybe something like a triathlon? According to my younger brother it is.
He entered one for people of a certain age (30’s at the time)
He got through the swimming and biking fine and was ready to drop dead during the running part, when he passed our dad on the sideline, who asked in a very loud voice, “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?? DID YOU GO OUT TO LUNCH???”
XD
I think gymnastics would be grueling. They make it look easy, but it takes years of practice and complete dedication.
I concur with Chyna. Gymnastics.
@chyna and
@anniereborn – They are incredible athletes.
I watched Simone Biles a few months ago in a competition was amazed by her strength and control.
My gymnastic wipeouts routine varies and is never planned.
I learned a great many years ago the top 2 most strenuous sports in the world are #1 Soccer you are out there for the whole game.
#2Moto-cross racing you are out there for the whole race, NO breaks.
@SQUEEKY2 -I thought about soccer as well when I thought of basketball.
My neighbor was a moto-cross competitor (is there a name for that?) She did well until she injured her back and had to stop.
Each individual sport has unique physical requirements. My daughter reached level 9 in gymnastics. Level 10 allows you to qualify for Olympic level competition. She was AMAZING.. In one meet, in Tulsa, she did the vault. She executed it perfectly. Breathtakingly perfectly. The guy in front of me said, “Holy cow. If that’s not a 10 I guess I’ll never see one.” I’m going, “That’s MY kid!!!”..... judges gave her a 9. The entire place groaned in disbelief. It was beautiful. She is literally handicapped now, due to a bad back. Not sure how much is due to they gymnastics, or how much is genetic. Apparently her birth mother suffered from back problems too. Sorry for digressing.
Gladiatorial combat in general, particularly hand to hand combat to the death, as in Thunderdome, where “two men enter, one man leaves.”
@Zaku – Would a diaper inhibit one’s agility?
That is what I’d need before that competition. Especially if it involves lions. Bitchy lions.
@Zaku you said it yourself it’s combat for survival not a sport.
@lucillelucillelucille Diapers tend to only inhibit agility when they are worn under other clothing.
@SQUEEKY2 Combat and sports are not mutually exclusive, q.v. “combat sports”. Especially in ancient Rome, Sparta, or post-apocalyptic Bartertown.
Sports arose out of combat.
@Zaku -Thanks. I feel somewhat better. XD
Although I’ve never tried it, I’ve been told that Rugby is pretty demanding and tough on the players. I’d also think that MMA is a pretty demanding sport
Probably gymnastics, but don’t ask me. The most exercise I get is beer pong.
I throw a tennis ball 57,000 times a day for a Surprise Great Dane.
@elbanditoroso Ice hockey is a good guess but they have periods where they can break, and they can spell each other off in the game.
Unlike Soccer where you are out there for the whole game.
Surely they swap players in and out in soccer so they can rest? Like they do in basketball?
Nope not soccer,that is why it’s #1.
Oh boy. That would be grueling. I have to agree then.
@SEKA- A friend of mine used to play rugby. I will have to ask him. He did tell me ne time about a guy who had a chunk of his ear bitten off.
Which now reminds me of Mike Tyson. I wonder if boxing is it?
I just checked with a friend. They play two 45 minute halves, but they do get a 15 minute break at half time @SQUEEKY2. Still horribly grueling.
@SQUEEKY2 Football (you lot say soccer) is a game of 2 45min halves usually with around an extra 10mins or so added in total for stoppages, injuries & such like.
Where you’re wrong though is, each team can make up to 3 substitutions in the match, more if it’s a friendly, uncompetitive fixture. So you see, players do get a break, sometimes enforced, indeed, most coaches will tell you that football is more about the squad of 16 rather than just about the starting 11.
Often players who have started several consecutive games will be rested for up to a month making them fitter & refreshed upon their return to the team.
So yeah, it is, at elite level, a high intensity, impact sport, but not quite as hard on individual players as you make out.
Water polo is up there for sure. Triathletes are pretty incredible as well. Gymnastics. Marathon runners.
Boxing, or UFC…Water Polo, is up there too…
@MrGrimm888 I have watched mixed matches and it has to be up there for sure as one of the more grueling sports.
The Gracie family always stood out. Boxers,wrestlers all being beat by them.
Amazing athletes.
Jockeys.
They have to be fit, constantly maintain outrageously low weights, ride to an elite level, suffer many broken bones.
All that & then the horse takes all the credit & they do everything while wearing children’s pants.
@ucme -Maybe the pants have it the worst??
They have to parade around on a full grown adult.
Think that about covers it, which is more than can be said of the pants.
@rebbel -They save on fabric that way!
Speaking of jockeys, I wish everyone here would read the book “Seabiscuit.” Hillenbrand does an amazing job outline what the jockeys go through. It’s…horrendous. The movie barely touches on it.
I read Seabiscuit, nice pic of Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover…neigh word of a lie.
@ucme -Hay,I had that book as well.
It is the only book I ever read and immediately went b ack to page 1 and read it straight through again. I am ALWAYS in some stage of reading that book.
Remember the Shit Mountain that slid into the ocean @lucillelucillelucille? Ha ha ha ha!
Figure skaters or gymnasts. Balance, muscle, concentration, it’s really incredible.
In gymnastics class, one of the girl’s exercise was to put their forehead on the top of a baseball bat and run around in circles. They learn how to flip and tuck and roll and do all kinds of stuff without getting lazy, and never taking their eyes off of their landing spot.
I tell you, I about had a heart attack when I walked into class a bit early to pick my daughter up. Got there just in time to see her do an ariel on the balance beam. Holy shitsky.
That’s how I get out of bed in the morning.
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