Seb Coe is right. Adding XC to the Winter Olympics would be AMAZING... But adding it to the summer as a relay would be a mistake

OozmaKappa wrote:

1. While I agree that adding XC to the winter games is a good idea, "diversity" and "africans would get medals" is the stupidest reason I could think of to support this good idea

I understand why people are generally fed up about hearing about diversity, it does get parroted around a lot, I get it. But don’t let that get in the way of actually thinking about it.

The olympics, by definition is a worldwide event who’s explicit purpose is include the whole human race in the name of athletics. The point is to include the whole dam world in one giant competition, that’s why it’s such a beautiful event. So of course there is gonna be a discussion about diversity, because otherwise we would miss the whole point.

You’re so triggered by terms like “diversity” you forgot to think. Be better.

ArthurNotInMyyard wrote:

The fundamental issue that Rojo, Coe, and most of the other posters on this thread are having a hard time grasping is that the Winter Olympics were intended for sports that REQUIRE a snow or ice surface: nordic and alpine skiing, ice hockey, curling, speed and artistic skating, the sliding sports, etc.

Without snow or ice, those sports can't take place.

While cross country running does indeed sometimes take place on snow, depending on weather, lack of snow does not prevent running from being possible. On the other hand, could an ice hockey match take place on a grass field?

I’ve never played “ice” hockey, but I did play hockey on basketball courts in junior high PE. So hockey 🏒 doesn’t require ice, just like cross country running doesn’t require snow. Maybe if you add “snow” to cross country running, that would be acceptable to you?

ArthurNotInMyyard wrote:

The fundamental issue that Rojo, Coe, and most of the other posters on this thread are having a hard time grasping is that the Winter Olympics were intended for sports that REQUIRE a snow or ice surface: nordic and alpine skiing, ice hockey, curling, speed and artistic skating, the sliding sports, etc.

Without snow or ice, those sports can't take

You can ski/sand board on sand, alpine, freestyle, nordic (on beach). Skating can be inline for speed skating, or roller skates for figure skating…

6 races.

Men's 10k, 5k, 2.5k relay

Women's 10k, 5k, 2.5k relay

In individual races, every country qualifies 5 runners and you also score a country champion, keep it a team sport. You select 4 of 5 qualifiers to run relay if you want.

Setup 2.5k loop course that is spectator friendly.

A race every other day to help the course "recover"

Haybails as obstacles 2-3 times a lap.

That's Winter Olympics Cross Country Running logistics.

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This is correct. Adding a snow version of cross country would require 'snow cross country' to be a sport, which it isn't. There aren't regularly scheduled cross country races which are held in the winter of a cold place so that snow is an expected part of those meets. Cross country ski races don't have a 'no ski' division.

+24 to the others recommending snowshoe running. Was going to post this. Why not add this as a demonstration (exhibition) sport at least? It's already part of the Special Olympics. I don't see the East Africans dominating this sport, however. Snowshoes are 1.2lbs at the lightest (not including actual shoes) and that's a tremendous weight addition at the end of the pendulum.

Raddison wrote:

Realistically the only running event which meets the requirements of the Winter Olympics is snowshoe racing. It is a real sport and the European Championships are taking place on January 8th. Maybe LetsRun should cover it.

https://worldsnowshoe.org/2022-european-championships

Great post. Way more eloquent than what I would've said. Thanks.

ienjoyracing wrote:

I understand why people are generally fed up about hearing about diversity, it does get parroted around a lot, I get it. But don’t let that get in the way of actually thinking about it.

The olympics, by definition is a worldwide event who’s explicit purpose is include the whole human race in the name of athletics. The point is to include the whole dam world in one giant competition, that’s why it’s such a beautiful event. So of course there is gonna be a discussion about diversity, because otherwise we would miss the whole point.

You’re so triggered by terms like “diversity” you forgot to think. Be better.

The mixed gender races are worthless sideshows. No one wants them in. We would absolutely love to have cross country individual and team races in the Winter or Summer Olympics, but especially in the Winter Olympics, because then you'd get so much of the distance talent in one race for each gender. You could even have short and long course races, which is what allowed Bekele to ring up 12 World XC champs early in his career. He'd often win the 4k the same day as the 12k, if I remember correctly. The team competition would go a long way toward increasing interest, and would allow a country like the U.S. to get a medal every now and then, as happened in Poland in snow and mud. Snow and mud would help to make the U.S. and Europe more competitive as has happened on a few occasions in the past at World XC.

kanny wrote:

+24 to the others recommending snowshoe running. Was going to post this. Why not add this as a demonstration (exhibition) sport at least? It's already part of the Special Olympics.

I don't see the East Africans dominating this sport, however. Snowshoes are 1.2lbs at the lightest (not including actual shoes) and that's a tremendous weight addition at the end of the pendulum.

Raddison wrote:

Realistically the only running event which meets the requirements of the Winter Olympics is snowshoe racing. It is a real sport and the European Championships are taking place on January 8th. Maybe LetsRun should cover it.

https://worldsnowshoe.org/2022-european-championships

It would be hard for the East-Africans to dominate a race they aren't competing in. The guys that would compete would be Nordic skiers.

Runfasta wrote:

6 races.

Men's 10k, 5k, 2.5k relay

Women's 10k, 5k, 2.5k relay

In individual races, every country qualifies 5 runners and you also score a country champion, keep it a team sport. You select 4 of 5 qualifiers to run relay if you want.

Setup 2.5k loop course that is spectator friendly.

A race every other day to help the course "recover"

Haybails as obstacles 2-3 times a lap.

That's Winter Olympics Cross Country Running logistics.

You really think a 5k and a 10k in the same prog are going to be signed off? Can you elaborate on "every country qualifies 5 runners" - that in theory allows over 1000 runners per race as IOC has over 200 nations. I'm sure you don't really mean this, but what do you actually suggest for the WA QUALIFYING standards to be?

a number of people would double. If Grant Fisher and Woody Kincaid wanted to double, lots of people would double. I imagine considering so many of the sprinters double in relays, they'd do the same thing here because more medals equals more marketeability

You can think critically of diversity and not be triggered by it.

I can see both sides of the argument. Sprinters including Caribbean athletes have been able to compete decently in bobsledding and they technically are allowed to compete in any sports.

That said, I could see the appeal business-wise of letting Africans compete. I think snowshoe running is the best solution.