Could I be an Olympian in 2020?

munsterlegend · 22-08-2016 09:38AM

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

The host country is expected to have a team for every sport. Find out what the Jspanese have no history in, get Japanese citizenship and train like hell! :P
(For the London Olympics, the organisers put ads in local French papers looking for handball players with dual citizenship, for example.)

Did Thierry Henry apply? He might have got the dual citizenship given his years in London!

IvyTheTerrible · 22-08-2016 09:41AM

munsterlegend wrote: »

Did Thierry Henry apply? He might have got the dual citizenship given his years in London!

Haha no even though he seems to have the skillz!

Actually one of the guys who was selected, I think he played in the 2nd division handball league in France, he wouldn't have come within an asses' roar of the French olympic team, so it was a nice opportunity for him.

cherryghost · 22-08-2016 09:43AM

esports could well be an Olympic sport in 2020. Try playing some esport orientated video games.

jamesbere · 22-08-2016 10:11AM

With certain sports you can forget it, gymnastics, boxing, certain track and field events. They take years of practice and and high levels of endurance that your not going to build in four years and probably never if you're starting at 30.

Now something like weight lifting, possibly running and rowing where you need to build up muscle and endurance could be possible although still highly unlikely.

There was a fella who attempted to get under the Olympic marathon qualification time from scratch, did pretty well but injury screwed him. I'll try and find the link

fryup · 22-08-2016 10:17AM

shooting

god knows we get enough practice in this country

Ficheall · 22-08-2016 10:31AM

Get citizenship for a country that has a **** team for something. Eg. it would be possible to achieve the level of Olympic team-member for any of the bottom 20 or 30 countries in chess in a couple of years:
https://ratings.fide.com/topfed.phtml
Maybe it's not the Olympics you want, but no one will ever know...

Boom_Bap · 22-08-2016 10:35AM

You probably couldn't even put in the training to be a ballboy in the tennis in four years.

Letree · 22-08-2016 10:47AM

I think i seen table tennis there. Surely that can't be too hard to master at your age.
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You are not going to the Olympics OP you are going to be sat on your couch watching it just like this one.

Strong Life in Dublin · 22-08-2016 10:56AM

If you have money try stuff like sailing and equestrian

Calahonda52 · 22-08-2016 10:58AM

thelad95 wrote: »

If you really wanted to, a sport like archery could well be mastered in that space of time.

Is that not just wire pulling with an aim?

BattleCorp · 22-08-2016 11:02AM

Calahonda52 wrote: »

Is that not just wire pulling with an aim?

I can do that. Straight into a sock. :pac:

Skylinehead · 22-08-2016 11:06AM

maudgonner wrote: »

Rowing, as in having an argument, isn't so hard to excel in. But sadly it's not (yet) an Olympic event. Easy to get them confused. If it ever does get into the Olympics AH should send a team though.

No we shouldn't :mad:

Badly Drunk Boy · 22-08-2016 11:32AM

Skylinehead wrote: »

No we shouldn't :mad:

Well, I think we should. In fact, we should send two teams, for each type of rowing: Rowing with aggression, and Rowing with humour. And the word 'rowing' should always be in bold. So should 'bold'.

Any problems with that?

Skylinehead · 22-08-2016 11:41AM

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

Well, I think we should. In fact, we should send two teams, for each type of rowing: Rowing with aggression, and Rowing with humour. And the word 'rowing' should always be in bold. So should 'bold'.

Any problems with that?

I disagree with everything you say for no reason at all :mad:

PowerToWait · 22-08-2016 11:44AM

Some of these sports are heavily skill based. Archery is not a physical sport, but the raw talent required would rule out 95% of the population being anything better than average.

Forget about rowing or lifting or any of those. Also serious skill required as well as very specific physiological attributes.

If you're tall and like throwing a ball I suggest you get a handball team together. It seems like the least skillful of the lot.

4 days should have you at Olympic level.

maudgonner · 22-08-2016 11:52AM

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

Well, I think we should. In fact, we should send two teams, for each type of rowing: Rowing with aggression, and Rowing with humour. And the word 'rowing' should always be in bold. So should 'bold'.

Any problems with that?

Skylinehead wrote: »

I disagree with everything you say for no reason at all :mad:

Speaking as the chief executive of the RAI (Rowing Association of Ireland), as long as I get my first class flight, luxury hotel room and all the trimmings, I don't really give a shíte. I'll leave all the hard work to you athletes.

Clearlier · 22-08-2016 11:59AM

If you really want to compete in the Olympics the best way would be to get citizenship of a country that doesn't really send people to the olympics, set up an olympic qualification organisation. The IOC has a program to accept token athletes from countries where no one has qualified and you'd just need to get yourself sent under that.

Widdershins · 22-08-2016 12:04PM

Well there was a Jamaican Bobsled team so why not an Irish Bobsled team? (Cool Runnings!)

El Tarangu · 22-08-2016 12:12PM

Stranger things have happened, OP

"At the age of 33, he took a look at himself in the mirror and realised he had to make something of his life. He took up running, and discovered he had a natural talent for it. He shed his 20-a-day smoking habit, stopped guzzling sweets and chocolate..." - then went on represent England in the marathon in the Commonwealth Games.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/commonwealthgames/10995170/From-16st-smoker-to-elite-marathon-runner.html

Pherekydes · 22-08-2016 12:15PM

I suggest Decathlon. You only need to be decent (i.e. medal winning) national standard in the 100m, Long Jump, High Jump, 400m, 110m Hurdles, Pole Vault and Javelin (maybe) and decent (maybe top 10) standard in the throws and you'd be good to go.

ohnonotgmail · 22-08-2016 12:49PM

PowerToWait wrote: »

Some of these sports are heavily skill based. Archery is not a physical sport, but the raw talent required would rule out 95% of the population being anything better than average.

Forget about rowing or lifting or any of those. Also serious skill required as well as very specific physiological attributes.

If you're tall and like throwing a ball I suggest you get a handball team together. It seems like the least skillful of the lot.

4 days should have you at Olympic level.

If a 40 year old woman can take up archery and get close to qualifying i dont see why the OP cant. Especially if he trying to qualify to represent ireland where there would be less competition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geena_Davis#Sports

signostic · 22-08-2016 12:54PM

a referee or judge in some sport or other...preferably where one could just, sit, watch and judge...how would one go about that?

Clearlier · 22-08-2016 12:56PM

El Tarangu wrote: »

Stranger things have happened, OP

"At the age of 33, he took a look at himself in the mirror and realised he had to make something of his life. He took up running, and discovered he had a natural talent for it. He shed his 20-a-day smoking habit, stopped guzzling sweets and chocolate..." - then went on represent England in the marathon in the Commonwealth Games.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/commonwealthgames/10995170/From-16st-smoker-to-elite-marathon-runner.html

OP only has four years (3.5 really for qualification purposes). He'd need to be even more talented than Mr. Way who was able to knock out decent times for half marathons off drinking pints and smoking cigarettes. Sign up for a half there OP and see how you get on. 1:35 or so would indicate a decent amount of talent.

Unless you're female OP - the marathon standards are a bit more easily attained for women. You'd still have to work out a way to excluded the best female runners though because only three can be selected.

jamesbere · 22-08-2016 12:56PM

signostic wrote: »

a referee or judge in some sport or other...preferably where one could just, sit, watch and judge...how would one go about that?

If you're open to taking bribes your hired

signostic · 22-08-2016 12:57PM

jamesbere wrote: »

If you're open to taking bribes your hired

but would you have to be a briber before becoming a bribee?

LordSutch · 22-08-2016 02:05PM

dulpit wrote: »

Just watching the closing ceremony now. Looks like fun, I want to go.

I'm 30, don't really have a sporting background and am quite unfit. I'm wondering if there's any sport or event which would be easy enough that I could pick up and master over next few years so I can go to Tokyo in 2020. Possible?

Choose a suitable sport (something sedate for yourself), then join Team GB and they'll get you up to speed by way of science & massive funding, courtesy of the National Lottery. You'll then be guaranteed at least a bronze in 2020 ...

)

endacl · 22-08-2016 05:05PM

dulpit wrote: »

Just watching the closing ceremony now. Looks like fun, I want to go.

I'm 30, don't really have a sporting background and am quite unfit. I'm wondering if there's any sport or event which would be easy enough that I could pick up and master over next few years so I can go to Tokyo in 2020. Possible?

Power lifting. You could be a weight.

Edit: can't believe I forgot the obvious ones. Egg and spoon race. Failing that, three legged race.

Charizard · 24-08-2016 02:34AM

learn_more wrote: »

Rowing is hard to master ?

Youd be surprised, like you cant go hell for leather from the start. Then it gets harder the more people in the team

DEFTLEFTHAND · 24-08-2016 05:54AM

Widdershins wrote: »

Well there was a Jamaican Bobsled team so why not an Irish Bobsled team? (Cool Runnings!)

We've had both male and female Olympic bobsleigh teams representing Ireland in the past.

764dak · 26-08-2016 04:23AM

What about race walking?

Could I be an Olympian in 2020?

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