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A well-executed parallel park has all the elegance and timing of a rhythmic gymnastic routine. It seems almost like a dance as you indicate, turn the wheel and reverse smoothly in one go. If that’s not Olympic-worthy coordination, we don’t know what is.

The training

Just like the most seasoned Olympic athletes, experience counts for everything with parallel parking. In a similar way, you might begin practising at your local park and work your way up to the pro level. Parallel parking can take many years to master. You might even learn your parallel parking techniques from a wise old sensei, such as Bob the driving instructor. Eventually, all those years of finessing help you stay cool and calm under the mounting pressure and the process starts to feel like muscle memory.

The resilience

Parallel parking, just like Olympic sports, requires mental and emotional fortitude. Those reverse parking sensors going off in your ear? Yes, they’re probably just as intense as the starter buzzer on the 100m sprint. Rain, hail or shine – this is your moment to step up and deliver.

Plus as a parallel parker, you know the whole world is watching if you crack under pressure. Is this really any different to competing on the world stage? Being pipped at the post at the Olympics is an awful lot like having someone swoop in and steal your parking spot before you have the chance to reverse into it. And if it happens, you’ll have to wait another four years (or another trip ‘round the block) to gather your resolve and try again.

The victory

That exhilarating moment where you finish reversing, straighten your wheels and know you’ve totally aced it? Tell us how that’s any different to the moment a gymnast or pole vaulter masters a perfect landing. You’ll be riding that high for the rest of your life. If only slow-mo replays had captured it all, so you could relive it in your old age and say, “That was me. I was really something, wasn’t I?”

And just like in the Olympics, the challenges never stop with parallel parking. Once you’ve mastered the process, there’s always more to conquer – like parallel parking on a steep hill, or in peak-hour New York traffic.

If you still aren’t convinced, then consider this – is parallel parking more difficult than fast walking? We think many would say yes.

So, while the world debates the inclusion of sports like lacrosse and flag football for LA in 2028, let’s push for parallel parking to take its rightful place in the Olympic spotlight. It's time for the International Olympic Committee to recognise what we all know: that parallel parking is the ultimate test of human performance.

In the meantime, find gold with your next second-hand car

While we eagerly await the announcement from the IOC, why not take advantage of Carma’s car buying experience to nab yourself your next set of wheels? The many customer reviews make it clear that it’s a better way to buy pre-loved cars. First, you can search hundreds of quality used cars online that have been pre-checked by an expert mechanical team. Every car comes with a 3 month warranty, plus a seven-day window in which you can return the car for any reason. And with the option of free home delivery, you can finesse your parallel parking process close to home before taking your rightful place on the public parking podium.

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