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From WinkyPedia, the free encyclopedia that tells you what you already knew
Tug of war is a contest in which two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope. It was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1920, appearing at five Summer Games.[1] At the 1908 London Olympics, all three medals were won by British police teams: the City of London Police took gold, Liverpool Police silver and the Metropolitan Police bronze. It is the only Olympic event in which the medal table was decided entirely by people who would normally be asked to stop a pulling match.
Tug of war was included at the Paris 1900, St Louis 1904, London 1908, Stockholm 1912 and Antwerp 1920 Games. Teams usually had eight members, and the aim was to pull the other team a set distance. Great Britain won more medals in the event than any other country.[2]
The event was dropped after 1920, along with a number of other sports, as the Games were reorganised. It has not returned, though it has never been formally told that it lost.
Tug of war looks like a test of strength, but it is largely a test of weight, grip and timing. Teams lean back almost horizontally, dig their heels into the ground and pull in rhythm. Nobody moves very much, which is why tug of war is one of the few sports that can be watched by a sloth without missing anything.