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A hallmark of picnics and county fairs, the tug-of-war was once considered an Olympic worthy event. Appearing for the first time at the Paris Games in 1900, the tug-of-war survived on the program up to and including the Antwerp Games of 1920. Official rules stipulated that an eight-man team had to pull their opponents six feet to win. If either side failed to do so, judges gave the struggle a further five minutes and then declared the team who had made the most progress the victors. The British team, which routinely featured a crop of London City police officers, were particularly strong in the event. They won two golds and a silver medal in the years tug-of-war was featured.

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