LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND—Sources close to the International Olympic Committee have revealed that the organization is currently considering a new event that may be included as early as 2020.
With the next games scheduled for the summer of 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, the IOC has a lot of work ahead of itself, including overseeing the preparations for the summer games, reviewing rules and standards, and yes, even including new events for competition. The committee most recently reviewed possible events such as skateboarding and break dancing for the worldwide games, with break dancing expected to appear in the 2024 games in Paris. However, with world trends beginning to shift away from events that are separated by gender and that rely on physical prowess which not everyone is capable of attaining, the committee has begun to consider events that are open to people of any physical stature and that do not give an advantage to any gender.
In addition to increasing the accessibility of an event to people who are not necessarily athletic, the committee also seeks events that are broadly practiced throughout the globe by a variety of cultures and peoples. For these reasons, bottling up one's emotions is expected to be a huge hit at the 2020 Olympic games.
This is an especially timely change in the games, as Japan is expected to take a keen interest in the event. In many ways, residents have been preparing for this event for centuries, as it is unusual in the culture for people to display many common emotions. However, experts believe that most countries will be able to provide excellent competition for the event, citing their ex-spouses and fathers.
Regarding what such an event would look like, there is only speculation thus far. However, experts and a few ex-judges for the Olympic Games have suggested that Olympians would stand in a marked circle, while people who are important to the athlete stood within earshot and made comments about at least 3 categories: their appearance, worth as a person, and religion or politics. The judges would then rate the competitors on their lack of a response in facial expression, lack of vocal protest or defense, and possibly even on how their rage or depression leaks out in other ways. For example, it seems likely that releasing the emotions through eating or road rage would be rated poorly, but releasing them through exercise or creative art and music would be rated highly. Of course, how exactly it all will come together remains to be seen.
If you or someone you know are interested in qualifying for this event, reach out to your local Olympic Games contact to complete the forms and see if you have what it takes to win a medal in bottling up your feelings. Even if you get rejected, use that as a training experience.
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