4. Live Pigeon Shooting
At the 1900 Paris Olympics, live pigeon shooting was introduced, marking the only instance in Olympic history where live animals were used in a shooting event. Competitors aimed to kill as many pigeons as possible, with nearly 300 birds killed in total. Belgium’s Léon de Lunden secured the gold medal by shooting 21 pigeons. The event faced significant ethical criticism and was discontinued in subsequent Games. (wgbh.org)
