6K or 8K XC for both men and women. It needs to be a distance that doesn't overlap with a track event so it has its own times and tactics and isn't just a slower 10k on a different surface, and it should be the same distance and course for men and women. 15K would eliminate too many mid-distance oriented runners.
6K or 8K XC for both men and women. It needs to be a distance that doesn't overlap with a track event so it has its own times and tactics and isn't just a slower 10k on a different surface, and it should be the same distance and course for men and women. 15K would eliminate too many mid-distance oriented runners.
They could do CC instead of the 10000. It would largely be the same athletes at the front either way.
6K or 8K XC for both men and women. It needs to be a distance that doesn't overlap with a track event so it has its own times and tactics and isn't just a slower 10k on a different surface, and it should be the same distance and course for men and women. 15K would eliminate too many mid-distance oriented runners.
8km, six people from each country, and make it so that you can only compete in xc if you are not competing in any track events or marathon
You guys love your ultras, but it’s far more niche than T&F. I don’t think one has ever been televised in the U.S. but you want it to skip all the to being an Olympic sport? Before that happens, it needs to prove it can draw an audience on network T.V. or a local station. The average distance, or sports fan, couldn’t care less about fueling, hydration, recovery or pace.
Why would you want XC to be team only? Other than a relay we used to run, I’ve never heard of team only XC.
I’ve seen a few shuttle relays and I wanted them to end quickly so I could watch the next distance race. I didn’t care who won or what the winning time was.
This is so dumb, when was the last time you saw fencing or equestrian or badminton or even swimming on TV besides in the olympics. Ultra/trail has huge participation and would be a fine addition. However, cross country is an unbelievable omission from the Olympics. It's participation completely dwarfs most Olympic sports. How many cross country runners are there in the world? Millions.
I see this a lot, but the DMR has no tradition outside of the US. It would be like adding an Ekiden. I wouldn't add anything to the athletics schedule, it's fine as it is. I would consider making the 10000m a 10k road race. It would be another free event for spectators, and organisers could get creative with the course, adopting a hilly route, etc. make it a different challenge
One of the perks of being the host nation for the Olympics is being able to introduce events that are more popular in your country. I think it would have been cool if the Tokyo Olympics had an Ekiden! And there is some history of DMR running outside the U.S. Back in 2015, the World Relays meet in Bahamas included a DMR, where Team USA beat Team Kenya and set a world record (check out the photo of Kyle Merber!).
I actually agree that the athletics lineup is fine as is for the Summer Olympics (I support Sebastien Coe's effort to add cross country to the Winter Olympics), but if officials have a desire to add new events and are in favor of relays, I think the DMR would have been a better choice than a mixed 4x100. Sprinters already have relays, giving them opportunities to win more medals (e.g., Gabby Thomas and Allyson Felix). If officials want to add another relay, they should give middle distance runners a chance. Plus, knowing how incredibly stacked our country is in the 1500, I'd love to give more of our guys a chance to make an Olympic team.
Another idea, if the IOC wants to see more mixed relays, is to offer a mixed 4x800. That would also be better and fairer than a mixed 4x100.
Kind of. It's normally about introducing whole sports rather than just some minor variation of events within a sport. Tbh, the US already has enough free medals at the Olympics with things like basketball and softball, plus you're getting tag football as well in LA. The Olympics should be prioritising new events that have greater global participation, it's kind of the point of the whole Olympic movement. Or it was.
I don't know if the Olympics is the place for it, but I'd love to see an elimination race at a champs. The best distance runners all going up against each other, every lap the last guy across the line is eliminated. There'd be a lot of intriguing match-ups there and it could be carnage if you have a good size field, maybe 30 athletes on the start line. The tactics would be super-interesting as every lap is meaningful
What is with the recent push for all these mixed relay or mixed team events? I've heard them discussed in terms of "increasing gender parity" but they don't really do that, do they? You increase gender parity by putting in women's events for sports/events that only men did before. Or is it some kind of, "women can compete with men!" type thing, because any illusions were eliminated by the first few years of the 4x400 to the extent that they had to mandate a set order in which the genders would run.
I'm especially annoyed that track has no imagination and just gives us mixed versions of existing relays. How about the 4x800 or a medley, something that isn't included otherwise?
What is with the recent push for all these mixed relay or mixed team events? I've heard them discussed in terms of "increasing gender parity" but they don't really do that, do they? You increase gender parity by putting in women's events for sports/events that only men did before. Or is it some kind of, "women can compete with men!" type thing, because any illusions were eliminated by the first few years of the 4x400 to the extent that they had to mandate a set order in which the genders would run.
I'm especially annoyed that track has no imagination and just gives us mixed versions of existing relays. How about the 4x800 or a medley, something that isn't included otherwise?
4x800 or DMR. 50k on the track (because the lap counting would be hilarious). 1500m steeplechase. Though seriously if the goal is to find the best distance runners, 7k is about the perfect distance between speed and endurance.
I don't know if the Olympics is the place for it, but I'd love to see an elimination race at a champs. The best distance runners all going up against each other, every lap the last guy across the line is eliminated. There'd be a lot of intriguing match-ups there and it could be carnage if you have a good size field, maybe 30 athletes on the start line. The tactics would be super-interesting as every lap is meaningful
No. this idea has been done before and is never that interesting. gimmicky and stupid
Ideally I'd love to see the 10K track get converted to a 10K road race or 10K XC race highlighting a local trail around the Olympic site.
I think you could also just add one of them in addition to the track event since they are different enough to still get a decent field without ruining the 10K track field