| Tug of war at the Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC Code | TOW |
| Governing body | TWIF |
| Events | 1 (men) |
| Summer Olympics | |
(Front row - left to right): Edward Barrett, Henry Duke (Captain), William Hirons
Tug of war was contested as a team event in the Summer Olympics at the Games of every Olympiad from 1900 to 1920. Originally the competition was entered by groups called clubs. A country could enter more than one club in the competition, making it possible for one country to earn multiple medals. This happened in 1904, when the United States won all three medals, and in 1908 when the podium was occupied by three British teams. [1] Sweden was also among the top countries with two medals, one as a member of the mixed team.
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During its time as an Olympic sport, it was considered to be part of the Olympic athletics programme, although the sports of tug of war and athletics are now considered distinct. [2]
After the 1920 Games, the International Olympic Committee decided to streamline the Olympic program to manage the number of sports and participants. As part of this effort, Tug of War and several other sports were removed from the Olympic program in the following years. [3]
