Ethiopian Athletics Federation Formerly Protests IAAF Decicion to Eliminate Distance Running from Track

Tell me how does one qualify for the Olympics or WCs in the 5 or 10 if the event isn't offered?

Toni Reavis is calling for a complete break. If this starts looking likely I bet the IAAF would change their minds really quickly.

https://tonireavis.com/2019/03/14/breaking-up-is-hard-to-do/

“Can we be surprised that the group who developed this process is from Europe, and not from the U.S. or Africa?”

https://www.thesportsexaminer.com/lane-one-the-iaaf-is-changing-track-field-computers-are-in-distance-races-are-out/

There realignments, ahead of the great battle, are going to be very interesting.

El Keniano wrote:

“Can we be surprised that the group who developed this process is from Europe, and not from the U.S. or Africa?”

https://www.thesportsexaminer.com/lane-one-the-iaaf-is-changing-track-field-computers-are-in-distance-races-are-out/

There realignments, ahead of the great battle, are going to be very interesting.

El Keniano,

If you believe a large realignment is in the future, what do you see? A major realignment would not simply be 2018 Continental Cup schedule of: subtract 5K, subtract 10K & add 3K. Are you thinking: add 60m dash &/or add 200m low hurdles, &/or add 200m dash-straightaway?

El Keniano wrote:

She opened the floodgates. Before Deratu Tulu, Ethiopian and Kenyan women were expected, an happy, to stay home. Liz McCoglan likes to brag on Twitter that she “beat the Africans” in her day, but back then, women Kenyan and Ethiopian women were fighting a culture that strongly discouraged women participating in sport. Deratu Tulu smashed that glass ceiling to smithereens that night in Barcelona. She’s the people moan that Western girls don’t stand a chance.

I think it's more the doping mess in East Africa to be honest. Btw, fun fact - Genzebe Dibaba is the cousin of Deratu Tulu.

Subway Surfers wrote:

Perhaps this is how the IAAF eradicates epo from the track.

It's an interesting thought. Coe can't bring himself to ban Kenya or Ethiopia, so an alternative is to effectively ban the 5 and 10K until their doping mess is sorted.

Maybe instead of weeping and wailing, the Ethiopian athletics federation needs to get their house in order?

As usual, El K doesn't quite have the IQ to see the bigger picture. Coe would like to ban Ethiopia but that would mean having to ban Kenya, and he doesn't want to do that because at least they are trying (and Rudisha is his good friend).

Kenya is useless at the 5 and 10K these days. Don't know why El K wanted his identified country humiliated again as they were last year in the Diamond League final by Barega and co? Maybe this suburban white kid really was/is seriously considering identifying as 'El Ethiopiano' as he publicly admitted here after that amazing race in Brussels?

Personally, I think this is just a shot across the bow by Coe to the Ethiopians. He'll relent and put the 5K back so long as Ethiopians start testing Barega, Kejelcha, Tefera and the rest. With them and the other Ethiopians busted or suddenly running Kenyan times again, there might even emerge one or two decent 5000 Kenyan runners to regularly finish second and third behind Jakob.

I've been following track and field since the mid 80s. The IAAF and USATF have always been terrible corrupt dictatorships and mafia. It's disgusting. Really unwatchable anymore.

It's only about money anymore, for the creeps at the top. The athletes should just walk away. Start another federation. Cut the shoe companies out of the game. Buy their own shoes from a shoe store and get sponsorships from somewhere else.

No disrespect to the field events, but let a$$hole Coe try to market the sport when it's just the shot put and the long jump. Sure, they will still have the 100m. Wow, 10 seconds of action on the TV, and now we're back to the javelin. I love the field events because I grew up at track meets and I'm an educated fan. The average slob turning on a TV will never get into throwing events with the godawful commentating of the average track meet.

I have mentioned several times here over the last 15 years since discovering letsrun that track athletes should walk away from the shoe companies and pursue sponsorship elsewhere. How is it that the entire sport exists off the fumes of shoe company sponsorship? My long time favorite idea has been for distance running to marry up with fast food. Fast food has an image problem (obese westerners) which could be remedied by having the fittest endurance athletes in the world as brand ambassadors. Tell Nike to take a hike and pull on a jersey with the Golden Arches on the front.

Also, time to ditch the Olympics. Yeah, that one will be harder. Who didn't dream of climbing on the podium and having a gold medal slipped around their neck? But the Olympics is the biggest reason track and field is not marketable. Everyone is preparing for an event that happens only every four years. The rest of the meets are basically practice sessions for the main event. Track would be better off with a tennis/golf type of format. Four huge meets a year and a number of other pro tour events. Smaller events good for developing and B level athletes. The larger events are frequent enough to develop awareness of the competitors. More people can become stars (win a major). A few mega stars (e.g. 20 time major champion). 10,000m would fit into this type of system. The Olympics are just getting dumb (BMX, trampoline). It was nice while it lasted. Without the Olympics, athletes could take risks again. Losing a major would be no big deal as there are 4 every year, plus world ranking would not depend upon winning a major (e.g. Tiger Woods ranked #1 in golf in years when he won no majors). There would be no more Coe dodging Cram and Aouita for 4 years because they'd have to face each other 4 times a year.

I'll stop ranting now.

Your post was entertaining but you do know if Coe and IAAF simply maintain 2018 Continental Cup schedule, your argument falls apart. Kenyans and Ethiopians will earn nearly all the medals, 3000m.

Subway Surfers wrote:

Tell me how does one qualify for the Olympics or WCs in the 5 or 10 if the event isn't offered?

Can Ethiopia not host a track meet. They could have a distance meet in their country and call it the get the standards meet or something. Make their top guys run it and invite international athletes.

I have faith ... wrote:

I have faith IAAF will run Diamond League as IAAF runs Continental Cup. At Continental Cup, there is 3000mSC for men and women and 3000m for both men and women.

Long ago, officially or unofficially Kenyans decided their best runners 5000m and longer would skip 5000m and 10000m and focus on Marathon. Ethiopians will do well in 3000m and will Kenyans.

Coe, competitively he was a better 1500m runner than 800m knows that some aging 1500m runners would love to see 3000m as an official event. If Coe does not at least add a 3000m, Coe will have to answer for a lot of things. I am sure there is hidden dirt on Coe which would be exposed if he does not at least add 3000m.

If there was hidden dirt on Coe then it would have come out by now, not least from the Russians.

This IAAF decision is one made by the council of the IAAF, not one person, based on the findings of in depth research and analysis of what the public wants to see, by a working group of ex athletes and members of the IAAF. To make out that it was the personal choice of one person, Seb Coe, to drop the 5000m from the Diamond League schedule is ludicrous and unfounded.

Coe is someone who has long championed X country running and has been a supporter of wanting to bring X country back into the Olympics. He is not an enemy of distance running. I’m sure there are many things that the IAAF have adopted over the years, for example, the playing of loud music throughout events, that he personally doesn’t like or approve of. However, he is in a position where he is not able to steam roll through changes that only he wants. The recommendations of dropping the 5000m would have come from a working task group, headed by Jon Ridgeon, whose remit was to ascertain what can be done to make the sport more popular and dynamic going forward.

I don’t think dropping the 5k from the Diamond League is the right decision, and I would imagine many fans of the sport of a certain age don’t like it either, but unfortunately the sport is not big or strong enough to stay as it was in the 80's or 90's, if it wants to maintain its dwindling popularity, let alone regain its once prominent position. The IAAF cannot ignore what the public want to see and have to consider big business sponsorship and contracts for its survival. That is the way of the world today! Blaming everything on one individual is unfair and not going to help the issue.

People also seem to think that athletics is all about the Diamond League. I’m sure there will still be 5 and 10k races at other big international/ invitational meets across Europe, and perhaps they (the IAAF) intend to have/promote specialised meets for distance runners, like they already have in some countries. Also, where does it state that they will not hold any 5000m events at the likes of Zurch, Brussels, Oslo, etc? All they have said is that the Diamond League events will only go up to 3000m. There have been many instances of top races being held over a range of distances that have occurred at Diamond League venues, but outside of the DL competition.[/quote]

I think people need to voice their concerns, give constructive criticism and opinions, but as usual, most on here just want to start a witch hunt based on information that doesn't yet give a broad picture of what international T&F will look like in the years to come.

El Keniano wrote:

^ Pardon that messy post. Clearly inebriated this Friday night and not in a state to be typing anything on a ? with out of control autocorrect.

This site needs the editing function. It's long overdue.

longjack wrote:

the white racist card is bogus these days.

but

you gotta stick up for ethopia and kenya.

they have but one sport that they dominate, and they work very hard to achieve the results.

No nation dominates a sport the way Kenya dominates middle and long distance running.

None!

Now, add Ethiopia and the rest of the world combined has very little chance at success.

Coevett wrote:

Subway Surfers wrote:

Perhaps this is how the IAAF eradicates epo from the track.

Kenya is useless at the 5 and 10K these days.

Don't know why El K wanted his identified country humiliated again as they were last year in the Diamond League final by Barega and co? Maybe this suburban white kid really was/is seriously considering identifying as 'El Ethiopiano' as he publicly admitted here after that amazing race in Brussels?

Your buffoonery is only surpassed by your outright hatred for people who don't look like you.

We are the current U20 champions (5k men).

We are the current U20 champions (5k women).

We are the reigning U20 champions (men's 10k).

We are the reigning African Champions (men's 5k).

We are the reigning African Champions (5k women).

We are the reigning African Champions (10k women).

We are the reigning World Champions (5k women).

We are the reigning Olympics Champions (5k women).

........but we are useless.

You are not very bright.

Fact: Coe would never eliminate his 800m from track meets. This decision stinks.

This post is 100% right on! The Olympics are STUPID is bad enough distance running has been watered down with the hammer throw, but now BMX and Trampoline as well. Time to move on big time.

I cant believe this discussion is even being had. But the most long term marketable athletes outside the mens 100m are being marginalized. This isnt rocket science.

Hammer throw: Summer Olympic event since 1900. Why are posters trying to degrade field events? If you forgot, head of IAAF, a little 5'9" 135 lbs, guy.

Coevett wrote:

Kenya is useless at the 5 and 10K these days.

6 of the top 8 last season is useless.

But what is 13 of the top 19 compared to the 70th place of the top Brit? (OK, not british born, but still a useful achievement). But 32 out of the top 60 by Kenyans? They are done.

El Keniano wrote:

Kenya expected to follow suit. Plan to marshal support from all African federations. Hopefully the beginnings of a challenge to the Coe tyranny.

Excellent!

Coe is a jack*ass, and needs to be out of there.