I was watching an XC skiing event on TV today (I'm on vacation in Scandinavia, OK?) and when they showed a skier's name, country, age, place, time behind the leader, etc, the station would also show their heart rate! It was pretty cool watching the rates climb on hills or when someone attacked, etc, especially when they showed two people battling side-by-side or with the split screen.
Could this work in running?
maybe but im not sure how many elite runners would agree to wearing something to monitor that, unless it's very lightweight?
Sammy is cool wrote:
maybe but im not sure how many elite runners would agree to wearing something to monitor that, unless it's very lightweight?
Definitely, that would seem to be the main drawback? But if other sports can do it, why not us?
Elite runners might agree to it if there was some money in it, both directly (increased appearance fees and comping, perks etc, since a Polar-sponsored race would be more flush for cash) and indirectly (more interesting coverage --> more public interest --> $)
This is getting into another rant, but while many managers in the sport talk about how to market it, it often seems like the athletes are willing to do very little (wearing a 2-gram device??) ... See half of the finishers of any WC semifinal sulking through the mixed zone and refusing interviews...
The sender unit of a heart rate monitor is light and if the rule is that all elites have to wear one, then no one has an advantage.
I seem to remember in motor racing, when on-board cameras where first used, there was some resistance at first. But when it was realised that more TV spectator interest, meant more exposure for sponsors and more $$$$ for everyone, that resistance soon disappeared.
long sox wrote:
The sender unit of a heart rate monitor is light and if the rule is that all elites have to wear one, then no one has an advantage.
I seem to remember in motor racing, when on-board cameras where first used, there was some resistance at first. But when it was realised that more TV spectator interest, meant more exposure for sponsors and more $$$$ for everyone, that resistance soon disappeared.
I was just going to say, anything for more ratings and exposure.
cycling has done this by highlighting a few cyclists on some of the tv coverage and showing the HR. Great way of showing effort level. It'd be super cool to see running do this, like in a big marathon.
xc skiing not exactly big is it
ukathleticscoach wrote:
xc skiing not exactly big is it
Exactly. And they're doing something about it, while you're making sniping little comments.
Are you satisfied with the amount of live athletics coverage you see?
ukathleticscoach wrote:
xc skiing not exactly big is it
I miss FIS skiing on the old OLN...