4 Obscure Olympic Sports You Can't Miss
There are some Olympic events which don't need to be watched because it's obvious which country or individual athlete is going to win.
The United States will dominate in basketball and women's soccer. Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps will win any event they compete in. There's just no point in watching those sports unless you're not a fan of close and dramatic finishes.
With the wide range of different sports which take place during the Summer Olympics, you may just find yourself watching certain sports you never knew existed.
Some sports are unwatchable because you already know who's going to win, some are just plain boring.
But don't you worry, we have you covered!
Here are four obscure Olympic events you need to watch instead of watching the United States dominate on the basketball court.
1. Cycling Track
Think NASCAR but with bikes instead of cars. High-speed races just inches away from competitors with a high possibility of a big crash.
Of course, you never want to see an athlete get hurt, but the fact that there can be a crash at any moment during the race adds some extra excitement.
It's the reason non-avid fans of NASCAR watch, and it's the reason track cycling should be on your list of events to watch.
Track cycling will take place from August 11-16.
2. Modern Pentathlon
Take a look at the official Olympic logo for the Pentathlon. Does that not look like the best event ever created?
First, the athlete swims to land. Then they hop on a horse while someone chases them with a sword. If the athlete survives that, they have to jump off the horse and run away while someone shoots at them.
Okay, so that's not the real event. That sounds more like a mission on Grand Theft Auto.
The Modern Pentathlon consists of five different events: swimming, fencing, horse riding, pistol shooting and running.
The five different events will take place from August 18-20.
3. Canoe Slalom
The sport is essentially white water rafting races.
Athletes ride canoes down a man made, fast-moving river while they attempt to steer themselves through checkpoints. If you have ever gone white river rafting, you will appreciate how difficult this must be.
It's sports like canoe slalom which makes the Olympics so much fun to watch. It's an event which is never shown on TV or ever talked about, but for the few days it occurs during the games, it will draw your interest.
Canoe slalom can be seen from August 6-11.
4. Women's Field Hockey
This sport jumped into the headlines during the 2012 Olympics. Women's field hockey is far more physical than people who weren't familiar with the sport expected, and the sport is loaded with beautiful women.
One of the biggest stories from the Summer Games in 2012 was the Netherlands Women's Field Hockey team. Viewers and the media fell in love with the women, not only because they are all gorgeous, but they dominated and won the gold medal
Field hockey lasts a couple of weeks, from August 6-19.
