It seems disproportionate to other sport, except maybe gymnastics. Some popular sports don’t even have any representation, like cricket or bowling or squash. How did swimming get so much representation?
In: 17
To add:
The obvious fact is swimming provides good eye candy. Not only are athletes very well toned and wearing very skimpy outfits, but the spectators in the stand have a good, consistent view and relatively few camera placements are needed to cover the pools.
But more seriously Olympics is representation of “amateur” sports and cricket is very heavily a professional sport with dedicated clubs and seasonal cups. Bowling and squash and tennis and soccer, etc etc all have professional leagues and it’s difficult drawing the line between the professional and “amateur” athletes. Especially trying to get “amateurs” that you can field with name recognition.
Latest Answers