Some Olympic sports are more self-explanatory than others. The 100-meter dash, for example, is exactly what it sounds like.
The track cycling omnium, on the other hand, is a bit complex (aka completely baffling).
On Monday, the male cyclists in Rio competed in three of the six events that make up the omnium, including the points race ― in which they ride on the same track for a long distance, accumulating points based on position. (The women had their turn on Tuesday.)
For first-time viewers, it was especially hard to follow, and the internet didn’t hesitate to tweet out a flurry of confusion. Even Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling decided to weigh in on the sport.
Her conclusion? It’s a lot harder to understand than sporting contests of a magical persuasion.
Rowling’s comment obviously resonated, receiving nearly 14,000 retweets and nearly 38,000 likes by Thursday. Best of all, it spurred an avalanche of Harry Potter fans calling for the inclusion of Quidditch in the Olympics.
We don’t hate the idea. And now that surfing and skateboarding have been added to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, we’re convinced that anything can happen.
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