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Could I be an Olympian in 2020?

dulpit

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?

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Realt Dearg Sec

764dak wrote: »

What about race walking?

It's probably the worst combination of grueling pain and endurance, technical difficulty, concentration and skill in track and field.

CMOTDibbler

fryup wrote: »

shooting

god knows we get enough practice in this country

Probably one of the most difficult sports to qualify from. From what I understand you have to basically win a world cup (four per year starting two years out from the Olympics) or at least place in the top 3 as more people qualify. The standard is frighteningly high.

If you're pretty quick and fit, Rugby sevens might be an option. The OP might be a bit old, but we have only started in that sport here in the last few years and didn't get to the qualifying standard.

Sailing and Equestrianism aren't age dependant. Nick Skelton won gold for GB and he's had a hip replacement. :eek: So you wouldn't be confined to preparing for Tokyo.

Sailing is probably cheaper depending on the class of sailing dinghy you decide upon. You could buy a second hand laser for between €2,500 and €3,000. Club membership fees are reasonable, Greystones charge €415 a year, though I suppose the bigger clubs around Dun Laoghaire and Howth would be more expensive but still less than a comparable golf club.

BattleCorp

764dak wrote: »

What about race walking?

That might work..........unless the course passes through a district where there are shops. Ever see a woman walk past a shop window without stopping for a gawk? :pac:

maudgonner

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Sailing and Equestrianism aren't age dependant. Nick Skelton won gold for GB and he's had a hip replacement. :eek: So you wouldn't be confined to preparing for Tokyo.

For equestrian you'd want to start saving the pennies pretty quickly. A top class horse could easily cost a few hundred grand. That's one of the main problems we have in Ireland - we produce fantastic horses but it's hard to hold onto them.

harr

Definitely trap shooting...you don't really need to be in top physical condition....with four years to practice I recon it would be the easiest sport to get into,plenty of good shooting ranges around the country.... A lot of fine trap competitors in the country so you might have a lot competition for Olympic qualification.

DEFTLEFTHAND

The riders you see at the Olympics have been involved with horses since they were knee high.

30 is just too late to pick up a sporting discipline and master it to an Olympic standard.

BattleCorp

harr wrote: »

Definitely trap shooting...you don't really need to be in top physical condition....with four years to practice I recon it would be the easiest sport to get into,plenty of good shooting ranges around the country.... A lot of fine trap competitors in the country so you might have a lot competition for Olympic qualification.

It would probably cost 20k - 30k per year to train and then you'd have to travel abroad to shoot in qualifying competitions.

You could probably get very very good in 4 years but I doubt you'd get to Olympic standard.

Beefy78

It has been done - one of the British boxing team took up the sport after watching in 2012 - but obviously he was younger than you. And Britain has actually had medallists in some of the rowing events who hadn't got into that sort of boat four years earlier. But that's a seriously tough event.

AllGunsBlazing

Yep, I remember one of the rowers who got a medal saying he only got into it after watching the London games. Although he may have simply moved over from another discipline. He certainly didn't have the look of a man who just climbed off the sofa after seeing it on telly.

Capt'n Midnight

AllGunsBlazing wrote: »

Yep, I remember one of the rowers who got a medal saying he only got into it after watching the London games.

Even handier would to be the cox.

Don't need to be that fit to go "in, out, in, out"

All you really need to do is weigh close to 50Kg women / 55kg men

CMOTDibbler

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Even handier would to be the cox.

Don't need to be that fit to go "in, out, in, out"

All you really need to do is weigh close to 50Kg women / 55kg men

Ehhh... You also need some rowers.

Insect Overlord

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

The riders you see at the Olympics have been involved with horses since they were knee high.

30 is just too late to pick up a sporting discipline and master it to an Olympic standard.

What about shot put? I've always wanted to try that.

I was supposed to represent my school team once, but they wouldn't let me attempt it 8 weeks after a broken collar bone.

DEFTLEFTHAND

An File wrote: »

What about shot put? I've always wanted to try that.

I was supposed to represent my school team once, but they wouldn't let me attempt it 8 weeks after a broken collar bone.

Shotputters have longevity alright. It's common enough to see guys over 40 still competing to a world standard.

I'd say most top shotputters begin in their teens though. There's a very specific technique to throwing that I imagine most will hone in their youth under the guidance of a coach.

764dak

I'm thinking about the 2022 Commonwealth Games or the 2023 Pan-American Games.

Bob Harris

764dak wrote: »

I'm thinking about the 2022 Commonwealth Games or the 2023 Pan-American Games.

I'm thinking about eating some chocolate.

Gravelly

Dublinaccount wrote: »

Remember when you saw the karate kid and decided you'd become a professional karate master.

Well this is another of those moments.

Add it to super-spy, tour de france winner and astronaut.

Tour de France is dead easy - I've the same number of Tour de France wins as Lance Armstrong now, and I don't even train.

10000maniacs

Synchronized swimming looks easy. Piece of piss. Go for that one.
Or walking. Most people can walk.

Hector Bellend

Why not take up a real sport like darts or tug of war or endurance ****.

ohnonotgmail

10000maniacs wrote: »

Synchronized swimming looks easy. Piece of piss. Go for that one.
Or walking. Most people can walk.

well exactly. how hard can it be to swim upside down at the same depth as 5 or 6 other people?

Hector Bellend

Diving looks easy.

Just jump in

beertons

So how's the training going?

wexie

How has nobody mentioned Elizabeth Swaney yet?

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/26/sport/winter-olympics-guide-to-competing-intl/index.html

[Deleted User]

If it was a year ago I'd say get training, find the cut-off for boxing qualification and pick a women's division with not many entries and start taking the hormones as late as possible.

Beasty

I started my bicycle racing career at 49, and participated in my first official World championships at 51. And I didn't come last!

It's never too late, and many sports have "Masters" categories at local, national, European and World levels

Sabre0001

Archery, maybe? Though don't expect to win a medal! The best of the best are insanely consistent.

Bob Harris

Gravelly wrote: »

Tour de France is dead easy - I've the same number of Tour de France wins as Lance Armstrong now, and I don't even train.

I've the same number of PL medals as Steven Gerrard.

ChikiChiki

30 year old who never has played soccer at a club level and after seen playing in a 7 a side competition got asked to join the city side on an all expenses paid weekend for a trial football game in Melbourne.

I couldnt go due to work commitments but honestly dont believe too late to make it at a decent level in many sports if your good enough. People give up stuff they enjoy and are good at far too easy when life pressures kick in.

Im actually kind of regretting not going. Wouldnt mind a crack at Euro 2020:D

Beasty

Bob Harris wrote: »

I've the same number of PL medals as Steven Gerrard.

Alas mine is from when when the 1st Division was the premier league

Auguste Comte

The OP could hire a fitness consultant like say Lance Armstrong and see how things go:D

weldoninhio

Auguste Comte wrote: »

The OP could hire a fitness consultant like say Lance Armstrong and see how things go:D

Lance Armstrong is a cheat.

He could just ask Chris Froome or Mo Farah's doctors to give him the once over, he might have undiagnosed asthma and the world would be his oyster.