Chess, bridge, billiards, power-boating, hot-air ballooning, flying an airplane and dancing are among several activities that have been recognized by the International Olympic Committee as being a “sport”, although none are (yet) part of the Olympic Games.
From olympic.org :
If it is widely practised around the world and meets a number of criteria established by the IOC session, a recognised sport may be added to the Olympic programme on the recommendation of the IOC’s Olympic Programme Commission.
It’s high time that photography be recognized as a sport. It could even be in both the winter and summer games.
Photography is certainly widely-practised. It is one of the very few sports that can be played and enjoyed by people of any age, weight, height or sex, able-bodied or not.
Like many sports, photography requires skill and talent, along with physical and mental strength. Also like some sports, it can demand a healthy bank account to buy all the equipment necessary to fully compete in photography.
Photography requires not just technical excellence but also a creative flair, similar to the sports of figure skating and synchronized swimming.
Being artistic and maintaining a certain level of photographic technical expertise, while juggling several camera bodies and long lenses, is not unlike the sport of rhythmic gymnastics.
Going through a day carrying 45-lbs of camera gear plus a backpack filled with computer equipment, not to mention lifting several cases of lighting equipment in/out of the car, certainly makes the sport of weightlifting look easy. In that sport, the athletes only have to lift a weight for a few seconds.
Racing through traffic to assignments, finding a parking spot, setting up and shooting the event, tearing down, and then rushing to edit and transmit before deadline could qualify as a very modern pentathlon. Points would be earned not just for speed but also for technical accuracy, creative style and how close the parking spot is.
In the biathlon, competitors ski a bit and then lay on the ground to shoot. In sailing, competitors sit on a boat and get wet. In fencing, the athletes try to avoid getting poked by a little saber. Ha!
Outdoor photographers can carry camera gear, tripods and survival gear while trekking, snowshoeing and/or skiing through wind, rain, snow or ice, up and down the side of mountains, through rivers and swamps, or across deserts.
News photographers work in rain, snow, tear gas or pepper spray. They will lay on the ground, (snow, mud, or water), climb 6-storey-high fire ladders, lean off bridges, hang from an open helicopter door, ride backwards on a speeding motorcycle, or climb to the top of a building still under construction. During demonstrations, they will try to avoid getting hit by rocks, bottles, rubber bullets and water cannons, while still making photographs with some creativity.
Combat photographers do all of the above while trying not to get kidnapped or shot.
Wedding photographers have to deal with the mother of the bride.
So, should photography be the next Olympic sport?
