#2: Tug of War — 1900–1920
Tug of war sounds like something organized at a school picnic after everybody finishes eating, but for two decades it belonged to the Olympic athletics program. Teams hauled on a rope while attempting to drag their opponents across a line, with clubs sometimes representing countries rather loosely. The event appeared from 1900 through 1920 before disappearing during efforts to streamline the Olympic program. Few discontinued sports are easier to recreate at home, assuming eight strong relatives and one sufficiently durable rope.
