Should Strongman/Strongwoman and Functional Fitness Competitions Be Included in the Olympics?
The debate over which sports belong in the Olympics is ongoing. Strongman/strongwoman and functional fitness competitions have gained attention for their impressive strength and skill. Should they be part of the Olympics? This blog will examine the pros and cons of including these sports, looking at their uniqueness, growing popularity, and the obstacles to making them Olympic sports.
Arguments For Inclusion
1. Global Popularity and Growth
The sheer growth in global participation and viewership of strongman/strongwoman and functional fitness competitions in recent years makes a strong case for their inclusion in the Olympics. These sports, previously considered niche, are now watched by millions worldwide, with athletes competing at a high level in major events.
Strongman/Strongwoman: With its roots in traditional strength contests, strongman competitions have steadily grown in popularity since the 1970s. Competitions like the World’s Strongest Man have become household names, regularly drawing large audiences. Events are now held in multiple countries, and athletes from across the globe participate, making it a truly international sport.
Functional Fitness: Functional fitness, popularised by the CrossFit movement, has exploded over the last decade. The CrossFit Games, which began in 2007, have since become a global phenomenon, with athletes from over 120 countries participating in qualifiers. The reach of functional fitness goes far beyond the elite competitions, as millions of people worldwide engage in CrossFit-style training at local gyms.
The inclusion of these sports could help modernise the Olympic Games, tapping into the massive fitness trend that has swept the globe in recent years. With younger audiences increasingly drawn to these types of competitions, they could help rejuvenate interest in the Olympics and broaden its appeal.
2. Athletic Versatility
One of the core values of the Olympic Games is to showcase the pinnacle of human athleticism. Athletes in both strongman/strongwoman and functional fitness competitions epitomise this ideal by demonstrating extreme versatility.
Strongman/Strongwoman: Competitors are tasked with lifting, carrying, and moving massive objects in a variety of ways, often in unconventional formats. Events like the Atlas Stones, the Log Lift, and the Truck Pull challenge not only strength but also endurance and strategy. Athletes in these events need to be well-rounded, possessing the ability to adapt to various challenges, which aligns with the Olympic spirit of testing the full range of human ability.
Functional Fitness: Similarly, functional fitness competitions test a wide array of physical abilities, from cardiovascular endurance and strength to agility and coordination. Athletes must be proficient in Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, running, swimming, and more—all in the same event. This breadth of skills is comparable to the decathlon or heptathlon in traditional Olympic sports, where athletes are required to excel across multiple disciplines.
Including these sports would bring a new level of versatility and dynamic competition to the Olympics, highlighting the athletes' ability to perform under diverse and demanding conditions.
3. Engagement and Accessibility
One of the biggest selling points for both strongman and functional fitness competitions is their simplicity and engagement factor. These sports are easy for viewers to understand—whoever lifts the heaviest or finishes the fastest wins. The events are dramatic, fast-paced, and highly engaging, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.
Strongman/Strongwoman: The sheer spectacle of a strongman event—athletes lifting logs, flipping tires, and pulling trucks—makes it one of the most visually engaging sports. The raw strength and power displayed are universally impressive, and the simplicity of the rules makes it accessible to all viewers, whether they are casual fans or seasoned fitness enthusiasts.
Functional Fitness: With its blend of short, intense workouts and highly varied movements, functional fitness competitions offer non-stop action. The constant variety in events and the dramatic nature of the head-to-head format keep audiences invested from start to finish. Additionally, functional fitness is already a part of many people’s lives, which means viewers can relate to the athletes and appreciate the skills on display.
Including these sports could help the Olympics attract new audiences who are already passionate about fitness and strength-based competitions, offering an accessible and exciting viewing experience.
Arguments Against Inclusion
1. Lack of Standardisation
One of the biggest hurdles to including strongman and functional fitness in the Olympics is the lack of standardisation in both sports. Unlike other Olympic events, such as track and field or swimming, where the rules and conditions are the same across all competitions, these sports often vary in their execution.
Strongman/Strongwoman: In strongman competitions, there is no global governing body that regulates the events. As a result, each competition may feature different events with different weights and equipment. For example, while the Atlas Stones and Log Lift are popular events, the exact dimensions and weight requirements can differ significantly from one competition to another. The variety in events is what makes strongman so unique, but it poses a challenge for Olympic inclusion, where standardisation is key.
Functional Fitness: While functional fitness is more standardised than strongman, the variability in events from competition to competition still presents an issue. Each functional fitness competition, such as the CrossFit Games, features a new set of workouts every year, which are often kept secret until the event. The lack of a fixed, repeatable event structure may complicate the development of an Olympic version that meets IOC criteria.
2. Health and Safety Concerns
The extreme nature of both strongman and functional fitness competitions brings inherent risks to the athletes. Strongman, in particular, involves lifting extraordinarily heavy weights, which places a significant strain on the body. While these athletes are highly trained, the risk of injury is still present.
Strongman/Strongwoman: Events like the Deadlift, Truck Pull, or Super Yoke involve moving extremely heavy loads, which can cause injury even in seasoned athletes. The intensity of these events, paired with the physical toll they take on the body, raises concerns about whether the IOC would want to take on the risk of including such high-stakes events.
Functional Fitness: Functional fitness, while slightly less extreme in terms of weight, often involves high-intensity interval training that pushes athletes to their cardiovascular and muscular limits. The constant switch between weightlifting, cardio, and gymnastics can cause exhaustion, and when athletes are pushed to their breaking point, the risk of injury increases.
The IOC is always concerned about athlete safety, and the potential for injuries in these extreme sports may be too great for the organisation to justify their inclusion.
3. Olympic Tradition and Identity
Another argument against inclusion is the question of whether these sports fit within the traditional identity of the Olympics. The Olympic Games have historically focused on well-established sports with clear international governing bodies, traditions, and histories. While both strongman and functional fitness are growing rapidly, they lack the deep-rooted history of other Olympic sports such as gymnastics, track and field, or swimming.
Critics argue that the Olympics should remain focused on sports with a longstanding tradition of international competition. While strongman and functional fitness have enthusiastic fan bases, they are still seen by some as niche sports without the long-standing credibility that other Olympic sports possess.
The Future of Strongman/Strongwoman and Functional Fitness in the Olympics
The road to Olympic inclusion is long and filled with challenges. However, as the Olympics continue to evolve and add new sports, the possibility of strongman/strongwoman and functional fitness making an appearance cannot be completely ruled out. These sports clearly align with the Olympic values of athletic excellence, versatility, and global appeal.
For now, the strongman and functional fitness communities will continue to grow and thrive on their own terms. But who knows? One day we may see athletes flipping tires and lifting Atlas Stones on the world’s biggest athletic stage.
Sources:
International Olympic Committee (https://www.olympic.org/)
World’s Strongest Man (https://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/)
CrossFit Games (https://games.crossfit.com/)
Sports Injury Risk in Strength Training (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
