Demonstration Sports at the 1952 Olympic Games
Under the I.O.C. rules in 1952, the Organizing Committee was able to add to the program two sports demonstrations, one a national sport, the other a sport not practised in the organizing country. For the national sport the Organizing Committee had chosen two years earlier Finnish baseball. For the foreign sport the first choice was rugby football. Negotiations with the Rugby Football Union in England failed, therefore they decided to substitute field handball.
Field Handball - the national teams of Sweden and Denmark were invited to play the demonstration match. (see more about the Field Handball demonstration in 1952)
Pesäpallo - It is a variation of baseball, sometimes called Finnish Baseball. A match was played between two Finnish teams: the Finnish Baseball League and the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation. (see more about the Pesäpallo demonstration in 1952)
To enrich the program on these occasions, staged in the Olympic Stadium, the Organizing Committee accepted offers by Finnish gymnastic organizations to provide fillers on both days.
Synchronized Swimming - there was no mention of a demonstration of synchronized swimming in the official Olympic report, though there are reports of an exhibition of the sport in Helsinki in 1952. (see more about the synchronized swimming demonstration in 1952)
source: 1952 Official Report
Related Pages
- Field Handball demonstration in 1952
- Pesäpallo demonstration in 1952
- Full list of all Demonstration Sports
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