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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport

Olympic sports that should be sidelined

Marcus Svensson and Victoria Larsson of Sweden’s  mixed skeet shooting team at the Paris Olympics
Marcus Svensson and Victoria Larsson of Sweden’s mixed skeet shooting team at the Paris Olympics. Photograph: Bildbyrån/Rex/Shutterstock

It is difficult not to agree with Jonathan Liew’s Olympic sport culling suggestions for Los Angeles 2028 (Less is more: LA Olympic Games do not need every sport so let’s cut your favourite, 12 August). Added to his list of rejects should be any that require a judging panel to score contestants for artistic interpretation, style, size of water splash, punches landed or skeets shot. That should reduce the bill considerably. The size of the commentary and pundit team would also need to be reduced to leave just those that actually knew what they were talking about.
Jasper Dorgan
Edington, Wiltshire

• Jonathan Liew has fallen for the common misconception that sailing is a sport only for the super-rich. It really is not. Visit your nearest sailing club and you will nearly always find perfectly serviceable and affordable dinghies for sale second-hand. I bought one for £150 and it’s brilliant. At my club in Kent, run by volunteers, close racing takes place every week between sailors connected by a love for sailing, and certainly not by wealth. They understand the rules, and they love watching the Olympic sailing events. Come and visit, Jonathan – I’m always looking for crew, and I’ll show you the ropes.
Sebastian Naughton
Chipstead Sailing Club

• Some very popular international sports are currently omitted, notably snooker and darts. Why can this be? Do the wrong sort of people play and watch their worldwide tournaments? Can you imagine the exciting commentary: “Just the last red with a black and it’s a gold for Belgium” or “Double top and Britain takes the gold”. But alas, I don’t think these will ever happen. Funny old thing, sport.
Peter Taylor
Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear

• Do you have a photograph you’d like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it. A selection will be published in our Readers’ best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays.

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