Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

During the Christmas and New Year holiday break, Sideline Sid did a fair bit of reading. One book he pulled out from his bookcase, was a huge doorstop of nearly 1200 pages, titled the Complete Book of the Olympics, which had been gifted to him during 2015.

While the 2008 edition didn't include the London Olympics, it covered just about anything else one would want to know about the (Modern Summer) Olympics that were revived in 1896. Among the myriad of facts and figures, about the modern Olympics, were the top eight finishers in every Olympic event since 1896.

One piece at the back of the massive volume of words that grabbed Sid's attention, was the chapter on discontinued sports. Sports such as lacrosse, motor boating, polo, cricket and tug of war, came and went in short order in the early games.

Two other discontinued sports in rugby and golf are both making a comeback in Rio, after many decades in the wilderness. Canadian George Lyon won the golf title in 1904 which was the last time golf was contested at the Olympic Games.

It would surprise many to know that the USA are the reigning Olympic rugby champions, after beating France 17-3 in the gold medal match at the 1924 Olympics, held in Paris.

However, it was the discontinued track and field events that got the writer arching his eyebrows.

The standing high jump, long jump and triple jump were contested in the early Olympics, along with the 56 pound weight throw and the shot put and discus (both hands).

One remarkable Kiwi women athlete to compete at the early Olympics was track sprinter Norma Wilson, who lined up in the women's 100 yards in Amsterdam in 1928.

Having twice equaled the world record of 11.2 seconds, Norma was selected as one of the eight New Zealand representatives in Amsterdam.

She was controversially eliminated in the semi-finals after third in her re-run semi-final.

Romance blossomed on the long boat trip to and from Europe with Norma marrying boxer Ted Morgan, who won New Zealand first gold medal at the 1928 games.

While the marriage didn't last, she went on to marry Hastings jockey Rangi Marsh. Norma is probably best remembered today as the mother of Bruce Marsh who rode Silver Knight to victory in the 1971 Melbourne Cup.

Coincidently, there is a Western Bay connection to Silver Knights victory, with former Tauranga racecourse track manager "Snow" Temperton who is happily living out retirement in Greerton, having been the horse's strapper during the Melbourne Cup campaign.

While the large team of Kiwi sportsmen and women, who journey to the 2016 Olympics in Rio will travel in relative luxury - they should spare a thought for their predecessors, who endured spartan like conditions and up to three months away from home, to represent their country in the same pursuit of Olympic glory.