It just throws better, no? Like, if you're going to see how far you can throw things, you might as well pick the furthest-throwing? That would work in battle as well, I'd imagine. A rock-throwing kind of battle?

I think they should add in the caber toss. Because you never know when a telephone pole is going to piss you off.

Badminton thingies are the fastest moving thingies in sports. I'd trust those reflexes for something hunting related, or perhaps just bopping people on the head sharply.

hockey stick can be a useful weapon

Having played field hockey in prep school, I heartily agree.

perhaps just bopping people on the head sharply.

Again, a useful survival skill. More so than most, if you have the wrong sort of coworkers.

When we were doing our rankings (we weren't throwing anyone out of the pool) the back and forth on where many of the team sports like baseball and basketball fell was because it involves rudimentary survival skills (running, evasion, throwning, hitting) but the stylization/rules factor comes into play. We couldn't figure out if we'd rank that higher or lower than say something like fencing or shooting, because again, still a lot artificial rules imposed on the skill. And yeah, still rules in running or swimming, just fewer on the form of engagement. However, a greater combination of skills!

We never came to a conclusion because Optimist Prime decided to attack and the conversation got even more derailed.

We never came to a conclusion because Optimist Prime decided to attack and the conversation got even more derailed.

Heh.

Let's say humanity for some reason had no weapons at all. Which Olympic skill would best be able to defend against an attack of Kang and Kodos armed with boards with nails stuck in them?

Which Olympic skill would best be able to defend against an attack of Kang and Kodos armed with boards with nails stuck in them?

Rhythmic gymnastics.

New event for survival Olymics: Sheep to Shawl contest.

And afterwards, they can butcher the sheep and roast it while wearing their shawls.

Weightlifting - no

Wouldn't lifting heavy things be a useful survival skill?

Survival Olympics

Archery
Baseball - Only if you are a pitcher with a mean fastball
Badminton - Could possibly be used to whack small birds out of the air for food?
Basketball - Only if attacked by an alien with a throat exactly the size of a basketball or by a terrorist who makes basketballs that explode when you stop dribbling them.
Beach Volleyball - Possibly a vicious serve to the head of the enemy?
Boxing - Good as long as you understand that you there are no rules
Canoe/Kayak
Cycling-Mtn Bike
Cycling-BMX
Diving - Only if you're forced to jump off a high cliff to escape
Equestrian - Good if you have a horse and silly clothes
Football (aka Soccer)- No
Fencing - Only if you had a real sword and had to survive in an Errol Flynn movie
Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics - May distract the enemy when they start laughing hysterically
Trampoline - Useful only if you can strategically place trampolines throughout the countryside
Modern Pentathlon
Rowing
Sailing
Shooting
Swimming - Maybe
Synchro Swimming - Ha, ha, ha
Taekwondo - Possibly if you can forget the rules
Triathlon - Yes, although you probably won't have enough body fat to last long
Volleyball - Possibly a vicious serve to the head of the enemy?
Weightlifting - Useful to lift beams off trapped people