Weirdest Olympic Event

ever.

The second modern Olympics was held in France in 1900. One of the competitive events that year was Poodle clipping, but for some reason it was not continued past 1900.

Olympic Poodle clipping, held in Bois de Boulogne, featured 128 competitors.

Six thousand spectators, one of the largest of the games, watched this historic sports spectacle.

Avril Lafoule, a 37-year-old farmer's wife from the Auvergne region of France, won the gold medal by successfully clipping 17 poodles in the allotted two-hour time frame.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the French founding father of the modern Olympics, opposed the inclusion of this “sport,” but was outvoted by members of the international Olympic Committee. 

Update: The Poodle clipping factoid turns out to be the result of an April Fool's joke by the U.K. Telegraph where it ran on April 1 as part of a countdown to the Olympics. The story was put on the internet without the April 1st context. Apparently it is easy to believe anything about the French and Poodles.

Comments

[Jean]

As a former poodle parent, that was really interesting! Thanks for sharing it.

Levi's mom

[ed]

ok this isnt a true story is it?

[jan]

This is totally true. You can look it up. The French it would seem had some strange ideas about the Olympics.

So did the Greeks.

[chris]

wow, 17 poodles in 2 hours! I'm worn out when I'm done with 1 cantakerous cocker spaniel named Abby. I can't imagine doing it another 16 times in one day - she was good!

By the way, we've given you an award and you can pick it up at http://blog.ourdoglog.com

Enjoy!

[threecollie]

Poodle clipping! That is hands down the best Olympic sport I have ever heard of.1 Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

[Saint Lover]

the translation of gymnasium is HYSTERICAL!!!!! Thanks for the info!

[Denny]

At county fairs sheep clipping used to be one of the events, the person who clipped the most sheep in two hours won. Sounds like that was the origin of the idea of clipping Poodles.

A woody area of Wood of Boulogne. ;-)

[Harrison]

Women had their own separate games in ancient Greece, called Heraea Games (in honor of Hera, naturally). They wore clothes.

And anyone who says dog groomin' isn't a sport has never been backstage at a major dog show.

[Lonie Polony]

Certainly puts complaints about tennis/soccer/proposed golf into perspective...

[Tom and Icy]

sitting and watching someone clip poodles would be about as interesting as watching golf or baseball for two hours.

[matt]

The idea is no worse that a lot of the other sports that we only hear about during the olympics. I think I'd enjoy it more then fencing.

[Neva]

I would so love to see this back at the Olympics!!!

[Dan W]

Poodle clipping as an Olympic event?? What was the next competition... a staring contest? Followed by a riveting "Rock/Scissors/Paper" contest that is STILL legendary in France.........

[gus louie and callie]

Wow we did not know that. You sure come up with the neatest things..

Big Sloppy Kisses
Gus, Louie and Callie

[Lidian]

Unbelievable! Thank you for a riveting Olympic fact!

[Lindsay]

Ha! Now that is odd! I did not know about the poodle clipping as a sport and I did not know men competed nude during the original Olympics, not sure if that would increase TV ratings today or decrease them!

[jackie]

them crazy french..

[schnoodlepooh]

clipping 17 dogs in 2 hours is amazing. it takes me that one to do one dog. that's a pretty funny "sport".

[K9 Amiga]

life is weird.

[Karen]

Avril LaFoule!!! Is someone having a very good laugh here!

[Tony]

Okay, I don't know about the poodle clipping, but I am all for the naked guys!

[Coll]

Loved these bits of Olympic trivia. Too bad that they stopped the poodle clipping event. I would have loved that one. Come to think of it... I might have enjoyed the naked gymnasts as well. :-)

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