Every four years, the world's greatest athletes across the winter sport disciplines gather at the Olympic Games to provide a spectacle of sport and sportsmanship. And every four years, we must revisit the lost Olympic art of ski ballet.

Curling, short-track speedskating and ice capades — excuse me, ice dancing — all began their current Olympic runs as demonstration sports. Others flamed out. Skijoring, which came and went in 1928, featured races in which skiers were pulled by horses. (You can still attend skijoring competitions in the American West if you so desire.)

From pigeon shooting to tug-of-war, here are 11 disciplines that were cut from the Olympics

Beyond skating and skiing, discover underrated Winter Olympic sports that showcase incredible skill and excitement.

We all love the Olympics because there is nothing quite like screaming passionate instructions at the TV about a sport we learned existed exactly five minutes ago. But we need to address the elephant in the stadium: some of these events are purely unhinged.

With so many combat sports in the Olympics, it's shocking that mixed martial arts has never been included. MMA is one of the most popular combat sports today, and with so many talented athletes in UFC and other MMA organizations, what is holding them back?