If you have ever thought you had the most useless job, this lifeguard at the Rio Olympics definitely has you beat. The New York Times posted a photo on Instagram showing the look on one of the lifeguard’s faces during one of the swimming events and it perfectly captured the ridiculousness of being a lifeguard for the best swimmers in the entire world such as Michael Phelps.
The news outlet posted the photo with the caption: “You know who has the most useless job in Rio? A lifeguard. That’s right: At the #Olympic swimming pool, where the world’s best swimmers are never more than a few strokes from the pool wall and always within reach of a buoyant lane marker, lifeguards are watching. They have what is probably the best view in the house, as they’re among the few people permitted on the pool deck. 75 lifeguards are hired to work at the Olympic sites and training centers. In some cases, the reasons are obvious. Water polo can get ruggedly physical. Synchronized swimming is a surprisingly frequent source of sports concussions. Divers risk smacking the water. But do events like the 50-meter sprint and the breaststroke need a lifeguard of 2? The answer is yes. (Just in case someone like @m_phelps00, who has 18 gold medals, needs rescuing.) On Monday, @nytmills captured this #lifeguard watching Olympians practice.”
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Can you think of any job more useless than being a lifeguard for the swimmers at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games?
