The upcoming Olympics has become a trending topic lately on most social media platforms. Why not? The Paris Olympics 2024 will be held on July 26, with closing ceremonies on Aug 11. Incidentally, a video meme entitled “If Cute Babies Competed in the Olympic Games” has surfaced, which was posted by the official Olympic fan group. Everyone has heard of the “Summer Olympics” and the “Winter Olympics,” but never the “Baby Olympics.” Could it be real?
It was actually just a hilarious prank video made by the Olympic Committee. In 2017, the official YouTube channel of the Olympic Games uploaded a video entitled “If Cute Babies Competed in the Olympic Games.” The video instantly went viral since the competition looked very real. The clip was done brilliantly it set off a crazy trend, and many netizens reposted it on their pages.
In 2018, another video was shared by the Olympic Games officials. The video uploaded was entitled “If Cute Babies in the Olympic Winter Games.” The official website even hosted a “Baby Olympics Live Broadcast.” Since the video looked credible, some people curiously asked, “Will there really be a Baby Olympics?” That question aroused the biggest mystery on the internet.
In the end, it was revealed that the Olympic Committee was behind the trending prank video. The babies were all cute, and the clip was a success.
Incidentally, the Olympic Committee liked the Baby Olympics idea so much that they held the 4th edition of the event in Bahrain (an Arab country in the Persian Gulf) from May 5 to 10, 2018. One committee member said, “Since everyone liked it so much, let’s do something about it!”
The “Baby Olympics” in Bahrain was held at the Isa Sports City Complex. The sports event was attended by about 1,200 children from 66 kindergartens and nurseries.
The competition was divided into 5 major events: Track and Field, Gymnastics, Football, Basketball, and Walking or Crawling. The first 4 events were limited to participants aged 2 to 5. Toddlers 15 months old and below can participate in the walking competition. For infants under 12 years old, there is also a crawling competition.
The Track and Field competitions include medley relay for 4-year-old children, hurdles for 3-year-old children, and 15-meter freestyle for 2-year-old children. Other events included were the Gymnastics Freestyle, Free-kick Football (limited to 5 shooting opportunities for each child), and Basketball free throws. Lately, Weightlifting has been added to the event.
Although the Baby Olympics is not (yet) a worldwide event and is only limited to Bahrain nationals, the competition is fun to watch. It is now on its 4th edition, and the event is held annually. The 2024 Bahrain Baby Olympics had its closing ceremonies on May 8. Parents wished to extend their gratitude to all teachers and mentors. Who knows. Maybe someday, your child may grow up to be an Olympian.
Screenshot images and YouTube Video credits: © Olympics and Super Kids
