2012 Olympic Events

Per the FP Gal's request, here are the various events for the upcoming games.  I've gotten my info from here and rearranged it in a way that makes sense to me.  There are 26 total recognized sports.  I've grouped them together in various categories.  For event schedules you can go here. 

• Athletics - These are the track and field events: running, throwing and so on.  I'd also group some other things in the pure athletic heading such as the various gymnastic and weight lifting events.  The ancient Greeks would have recognized these without much problem.
• Aquatics - These are the swimming and diving events of various distances and heights. 
• Boats - Three different categories here: canoeing, rowing and sailing.  It's a shame that they can't somehow incorporate the Vendee Globe challenge that will be held later this year. 
• Fighting - Two people, trying to best each other in an immitation of actual combat.  Here you would find boxing, fencing, judo, taekwondo and wrestling.  I have no idea why judo and taekwondo are in but not karate or just some general 'martial arts' category. 
• Net sports - Hitting a ball (or shuttlecock) across a net to an opponent.  This gives us badminton, tennis and table tennis.
• Horses - The various equestrian sports including something called 'dressage'. 
• Road sports - Cycling and triathlon.  Though my label might not be the best since quite a bit of the cycling happens on dirt and the triathlon involves water. 
• Targets - Shooting stuff, best shot wins.  Archery and, well, shooting.  The Olympics had to get a special dispensation to use actual guns.  Let's hope it doesn't start an Olympic crime wave!
• Team Sports - Things played as a team.  I arbitrarirly didn't include relays in swimming and running here.  This gives us basketball, field hockey, football (soccer), volleyball, synchronized swimming, water polo and handball. 

There is one random event I have no idea what to do with: modern pentathlon.  Per wikipedia it combines 'pistol shooting, epee, 200m freestyle swimming, show jumping and a 3km cross country run'.  I have no clue how they picked those five things.  In my mind there was a ceremony where events were pulled out of hats and put together to form this.  If that isn't how they selected them . . . well, they should have.  They could even televise the selection process.  Wouldn't that be fun?
I also found out that after 1992 the Olympics, they decided not to do any demonstration sports anymore.  A demonstration style tournament can be held at the same time as the Olympics, giving officials a chance to look at it.  There was an attempt at doing so for cricket and something called 'netball' but it didn't happen.  For the life of me, I don't know why cricket isn't an Olympic sport.