Animals Should Compete in the Olympics: Agree or Disagree?

Animals ARE in the Olympics... HORSES!

Oh come on...imagine all the new sports we could institute!!

That's idiotic.

They wouldn't want to be there so no point

To wild!!!

it seems alright of course if it were safe. GO SWIMMY UR THE BEST GOLDFISH EVER NO THE OTHER WAY WHAT ARE U DOING THE FINISH LINE IS THAT WAY!!!!

I don't think they'd want to. Let's not make them do something they don't want to do...

Even if they did compete, it would be as trained animals working at the command of humans. It really wouldn't be something they choose to do, and -- and this is the wonderful thing about animals-- they really don't care if they win or not; a trophy, a title, a ribbon, or a medal are meaningless to them.

Only if competing against each other. Competing against humans just wouldn't fair. Of course a event full of wild animals would be quite dangerous…

It would be interesting if animals competed against each other. One could now compare animal world records to human.
For instance which would win in a 400 metre sprint between a cheetah, jaguar or puma?
How large a weight could a gorilla bench press or squat? (incidentally, how come bench pressing isn't in the Olympics?).
Which would win in a wrestling contest between a bear or a gorilla; a tiger or a lion? Could they be taught not to kill each other in such a match?
Could a chimp be taught to pole vault or shotput. If so, how would the results compare with humans.?
I have heard that chimps are far stronger than the toughest man, and even if an adult chimp ever faced off against the toughest human in the world it wouuld end up in defeat for the latter.
Although chimps are supposedly our closest relatives, they have not mastered bipedal gait so getting them to take part in a 400 metere sprint or marathon may not be possible.
A cheetah is obviously a faster sprinter than any human, but it uses four legs! It has an unfair advantage!
To conclude it would be interesting to test the strength & speed of animals in some sort of International Animal Contest.
Mmm....IAC, it has a certain ring to it. Wow this could be a business opportunity!!

maybe just certain animals though, like house pets though, it depends you know?

LOL :)

Begs the question, what the hell is equestrian doing in the Olympics?

Because riding is a sport. It's a different than a cheetah running or a kangaroo jumping. It takes skill and training to get a horse to do a piaffe or a passage. It takes cues and trust to time a jump right when the horse can not see the ground on the other side. It's not just the animal doing the work. Riders aren't just sitting there. Riders need quite a bit of muscle to do sitting trot, to post, to sit a canter well. It really isn't just the horse's natural ability to do stuff, riders have put a lot of time into training both of them and their horse.

The Olympics is about what amazing things humans can do (without violence, imagine that). Adding animals (besides equestrian) would detract heavily from the purpose of the Olympics.

Besides, how are you going to going to have events for a cheetah? Starve it for a week, then release an antelope into the arena and see how fast it takes a cheetah to bring him down? Ah, yes... violence.

made me laugh AND cry at the same time :( :)

Two words.
Animal Cruelty.

I don't think the animals would really understand the Olympics, but it sure would be cool to see an Olympic runner face off with a Cheetah.

On the whole, No. But Horses already do compete--in all Equestrian events. The rider gets the medal, but it is really the horse that is being tested....the Best Horse wins, and the rider just holds on for the ride, trying to look good.

Humans are animals, so their will be nothing there but events with only insects and plants.

Except horse racing.

I'll be more interested if they include animals in the Olympics. I'm not that fond of humans.

this is a joke right?

Animals are abused enough already. They are not into themselves as much as we are and have nothing to prove.

Animals don't have rights.

the olympics is dumb. don't bring animals into it and work them to the bone for human entertainment

Horses only!

Oh please; isn't there enough wasted air time just for the qualifying runs? I thought the qualifying was done back in their respective countries and the athletics that show up at this political dog and pony show are those that qualify in the do or die events.

They already are. Riding a horse just for the horse to jump over obstacles isn't a sport for humans.

And you've never ridden a horse on more than a trail ride with a guide, have you? You've obviously never jumped and learned how much muscle and balance it takes for a rider to stay on and keep in proper form when jumping something that can be taller than some of the riders. Or had to sit a trot. Or had to get a horse to do an unnatural movement such as a piaffe. Riding itself is a sport. A human is not just sitting there.

And you've never played or participated in a real sport that involves only yourself, have you? It's clear you never played a sport that involves you making sacrifices. Riding on a horse for the horse to jump the obstacles while you sit on his or hers back, is a activity not a sport. As for your little theory of how much physical strength and balance is needed to stay on the horse, is invalid. Horseback riding isn't gymnastics. Besides I've seen 10 year olds that weigh no more than 90 lbs participate in these horseback contests. The only thing humans are doing is making the obstacles harder for the horse. Like I said, horseback is not a sport for humans.

Horse racing yes fine. I work with big cats, love them dearly, but sweet as mine are having them in the Olympics? Bad idea.

Sweet Amol

Lions chasing those sprinters on the track would make it more interesting. Replace the volleybal with a hornets nest and put sharks inthe pools. Frizby dogs on the discus field could be iffy. Hmm, where should we put the bears?

I think that they should have the riders race against the horses. Just sayin. Otherwise, no. Just... no.

This question if full of s--t. If you are talking about just having animal compete then that is silly, if you are having animal compete against people then that is wrong. If you are having people and animals working together in competition then perhaps.

I personally think that if the event can not be measured, either by time or a clear measurable way like scoring goals then it is not a sport. Any event that is judged is therefore and art and not a sport. Otherwise, why isn't ballet in the Olympics or Opera? Both require considerable skill and discipline.

NOTE: the question that this site asks are loaded and manipulative.

You can have an animal Olympics if you would like to see animals preform. Wild animals still can kill people. Why would you want animals in an Olympics.?

I believe there was a show similar to this called, "Man vs. Beast". The animals kept winning and the show eventually flopped~

And most of these so called sports shouldn't be in the games. Lets get back to what there really were.

what a ridiculous idea... the Olympics are for humans... we have other sporting events for animals

but they do show the GEICO gecko on the commericals!