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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Lucy Arundell

How hard can handball be? Here are the sports you could compete in at the Olympics

We all had that moment when watching the Paris Olympics from the lounge room. If 14-year-old Arisa Trew can do it, why can't I? And if that wasn't enough, watching Raygun breakdance certainly gave us hope that we too could be Olympians.

It's obviously harder than doing a kangaroo hop around the house, but if the Olympic flame flickers within even a little bit it might not be as crazy as it first seems.

Obviously Australians want to watch athletes who are a chance of winning gold, silver or bronze, but if you can make the team you still get a cool tracksuit, plenty of gear, time in the athletes' village and rubbing shoulders with the world's best on the world's biggest stage.

The LA Games are just around the corner, and the Brisbane Olympics just after that, where Australia will automatically qualify for every sport in the games, including some that Australian athletes rarely get into.

If you're crazy enough to aim high, we've picked out some of the sports that are worth taking a shot at.

Flag Football

We all know the US is introducing flag football into the Los Angeles Olympics because they want to win gold. The game is based on American football, but without the tackling; players will wear three 'flags' that are attached to a fabric belt on their waists. Flag football is massive in the US and Canada, and is becoming more popular overseas.

The sport is a clear in for a hopeful Aussie athlete; the game is similar to AFL and rugby, all you have to do is learn a few new rules.

Australia only formed national women's and men's teams in October 2023, competing for the first time at the Flag Football Intercontinental Cup in Malaysia. The women's team won silver, and the men's team came fourth.

Handball

Unfortunately unlike the Australian schoolchildren version of the sport, handball in the Olympics is a strange cross between basketball and netball where teams of seven players pass, throw, catch and dribble a small ball with their hands to score points in a soccer-like goal.

What sport will Australia dominate in at the Brisbane Olympics? Pictures Getty Images

Neither of Australia's men's and women's handball teams have qualified for a regular Olympics; the only time they competed was in the Sydney 2000 Games because Australia was the host nation.

The teams were unable to win a match.

The game demands excellent catching and throwing skills, as well as a high fitness level to run up and down the court.

Fencing

Australia has not yet won a fencing medal at the Olympics; the closest we've come was with athlete Greg Benko, who finished sixth in the individual foil at Montreal in 1976, according to the Australian Olympic Committee.

Australia hasn't qualified a fencing athlete since Beijing 2008, but that will all change in Brisbane where Australia will automatically qualify for the competition.

Modern fencing is loosely based on traditional sword play, where opponents exchange tactical blows and gain points by hitting vital areas. Fencing involves three events, based on three different weapons; foil, épée and sabre.

To compete, you'll need to work on your poking and prodding skills, as well as your footwork.

Shooting

In terms of physical strength, shooting is one of the more manageable Olympic sports, or at least more achievable than getting your 100m sprint time to under 10 seconds.

A recent survey from YouGov, a research data group, found that Britons considered shooting the easiest Olympic sport to qualify for. Fifteen per cent reckon they could represent Great Britain at the next Olympics if they started training now, while 13 per cent believe they could qualify for archery.

There's more than nine events for shooting, with athletes taking part in rifle, pistol and shotgun events. All you have to do is hit the centre of the targets or the moving clay discs to win - easy right?

New sports in the games

T20 cricket is finally making its debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Games, and Australia has its eyes set on the prize.

Other possible additions to the Brisbane Olympics include Australian Rules football, ultimate frisbee, netball and lifesaving.

With the home crowd, Australia will already have the advantage at the Brisbane Games; so it's just a matter of picking a sport, training for thousands of hours over the next eight years, qualifying for the Australian team, and you could be an Olympic champion.

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