Summer Olympics 2012: 5 Events That Would Make a Weekend Jock Look Silliest

Watching the Olympic Games is a great tradition for most Americans. There is a bit of an athlete in most of us, and there is usually some dreaming about being in the shoes of one of the competitors.

For some sports, though, weekend warriors should be happy they are watching on television.

Aside from the amazing athletic skill required by most competitions, some of them take years of practice and training.

This goes beyond being able to do it well, mind you. Athletically-inclined individuals could manage events such as sailing, kayaking, archery, fencing, etc. Most wouldn't do well, though, and may not look skilled in the process.

But some events would pose the risk of bodily harm and great embarrassment if an even better-than-average-Joe athlete tried them.

Be thankful you won't be asked to attempt any of the following at home.

Any Apparatus in Gymnastics

While amazing to watch, most beer-league softball players would have a hard time holding on to the rings for 90 seconds, let alone doing the iron cross or a handstand on them.

The pommel horse doesn't have the same danger factor as other routines, but it is extremely demanding. 

The uneven bars should be avoided by men at all costs, but moving from bar to bar takes years of practice and training.

The balance beam needs little explanation, but when was the last time any of us attempted to jump across a curb and then do a handstand on it? That is the easy part of these routines.

The floor routine seems safe enough, but that even has its pitfalls.

While covering a recent gymnastics competition (alright, I was just watching my daughter's performance), I had occasion to simply walk across the floor. Granted, a nerve condition causes me to deal with perpetual dizziness, but I needed help to simply walk across the springy floor.

Even when in peak physical form, most athletes would fail miserably in these events. The videos would be fun to watch, though.

Diving: 10-Meter Platform

If this event was called "jumping" then there are a lot of individuals that would climb up the 33 feet and take a run off the platform.

Quite a few would even be so bold as to attempt "diving" with a head-first take.

However, when challenged to do a one-and-a-half somersault with a double-twist, pike, I would expect a lot of odd looks.

Enjoy the artistry these competitors bring to their sport, and when watching diving be thankful you aren't being asked to compete the following weekend.

Pole Vault

Quick show of hands...how many readers had the opportunity to try the pole vault in high school or college? Perhaps you should comment on your experience.

I can proudly say I had the opportunity and took it. I also humbly admit I didn't have the nerve to bend the bar enough to get my body to horizontal, let alone upside-down. 

Every part of this event is challenging. First, a participant needs to be fast enough to build the momentum needed to bend the bar. That has to be accomplished while controlling the pole, mind you.

Speed aside, participants need the strength to hold the position on the bar, and work through the recoil. Then one needs enough balance to maintain body position and the nerves to propel yourself 20 feet into the air.

Granted, Sergey Bubka is about the only person who has cleared 20 feet, but the body gets higher than the level cleared.

While it might be fun to imagine trying the pole vault, accomplishing anything more than a glorified jump is quite tricky...and you'd look silly doing it.

Discus

Yes, I did say discus. While it might look like a glorified Frisbee toss to some spectators, it is much more complicated.

The discus is held in the palm, and many throwers actually start out with more of a bowling throw to achieve the height needed for good distance.

That is the easy part.

The real key to distance in the discus is the spin. The faster the spin, the longer the throw. It takes balance and coordination to accomplish a spin and decades of practice to master it.

On top of that throwers need strength and explosiveness to become good.

Just for fun, the next time you are out playing disc golf give it a try. Just make sure there is nobody in front of you. Or off to the side...or behind you. Without a lot of practice nobody would be safe from an errant toss.

Decathlon/Heptathlon

Just to be clear, one has to be a little bit nuts to compete in the decathlon or heptathlon. The first concern is the sheer physical demands of the events (listed below).

Once the difficulty level is figured in, the world's greatest athletes certainly earn their titles.

With all respect to heptathletes, at least the average athletic person could complete the events. They may not look good in the process, but the odds of bodily harm are low...just be careful with the javelin.

Speaking of throwing the spear, that is also tougher than it looks.

But the decathlon has two events that have already made the top-five. Add in a 400 meter sprint, a mile and some more running and jumping and one has one heck of a difficult weekend.

Heptathlon	Decathlon
200 Meters	100 Meters
Long Jump	Long Jump
Shot Put	Shot Put
High Jump	High Jump
800 Meters	400 Meters
100 Meter Hurdles	110 Meter Hurdles
Javelin Throw	Discus Throw
	Pole Vault
	Javelin Throw
	1,500 Meters