As the Winter Olympics quickly approaches I have been thinking a lot about why indoor track is not part of the Winter Olympics. Track and field has always been a staple event for the summer Olympics so why not add indoor to the winter lineup? Does anyone know the answer to this?
It is not conducted on ice or snow which is a requirement for the winter olympice.
Cross-country would be more ideal. As a bonus, running over snow and ice might allow some non-Africans to medal. Even if they swept, it would allow Africans a chance at winter medals that they are usually denied for obvious reasons.
Rain Dog wrote:
Cross-country would be more ideal. As a bonus, running over snow and ice might allow some non-Africans to medal. Even if they swept, it would allow Africans a chance at winter medals that they are usually denied for obvious reasons.
Couldn't call it xc though, as xc does not require ice or snow. you would have to call it "snow run" or "winter run" or something and write in the rules that it can only be conducted on icy or snowy surfaces
Indoors is not track.
Same reason why basketball isn't in the Winter Olympics even though its played indoors in the winter.
They could change the Olympic Charter. XC would be a boost for the Winter Olympics. I've taught in a high school during the last 3 WO's and it has always been the brunt of jokes:
Like how many ways are there to go sleigh riding?
Forward, backward, with one person with two people.
They're trying to get too much out of too few sports.
and the 100,200,400,800,1500,5000 10000 marathon is not pushing the window. And if you add running and jumping over things you add a couple more HH IM steeple.
Then you have jumping for height, jumping for distance three step jumping, jumping with the aid of a stick.
Then you add throwing a rock, a stick, a plate and that prison ball and chain thing and you still haven't pushed it too far?
T&F is an outdoor sport.
JaKob 2:25 wrote:
As the Winter Olympics quickly approaches I have been thinking a lot about why indoor track is not part of the Winter Olympics. Track and field has always been a staple event for the summer Olympics so why not add indoor to the winter lineup? Does anyone know the answer to this?
It is part of the Winter Olympics. They call it speed skating.
because indoor is just a tune up to real track. you could be the best indoor runner at your event, and while a nice accomplishment, nobody will really care.
runn wrote:
XC would be a boost for the Winter Olympics.
No it wouldn't. It would be totally out of place with the rest of the events.
1. Cancel the Winter Olympics.
2. Have an Outdoor Track and Field Olympics ever 4 years, offset by 2 year by the Summer Olympics. SInce T&F and Beach VB are the biggest Oly sports.
2. Have 3 IAAF Outdoor Worlds every 4 years skiiping the Olympic year. That way we get rid of the bye year (like 2014) with no major T&F champs, given it's bad for business.
Its called cross country skiing.
Rain Dog wrote:
Cross-country would be more ideal. As a bonus, running over snow and ice might allow some non-Africans to medal. Even if they swept, it would allow Africans a chance at winter medals that they are usually denied for obvious reasons.
Indoor track in the Olympics would be just the same athletes you see in outdoor track Olympics. Where else do you see that?
Olympic hockey is the most exciting event of either Olympics. The gold-medal US/Canada match last time was thrilling. I watched London track but little of it, outside of the men's 5 and 10, was compelling. Alpine skiing is also fun to watch. I liked London tennis, but the men's was more like an exhibition because they only played three sets. Thank god the Australian Open is up soon.
runner who professes wrote:
I liked London tennis, but the men's was more like an exhibition because they only played three sets. Thank god the Australian Open is up soon.
You mean like every other tennis tournament in the world besides the Grand Slams and Davis Cup?
Probably the same reason that indoor skiing is not part of the summer games.
I enjoy cross country skiing and biathlon. I love the persuit idea based on an individual time trial. Awesome!
Cross Country could be successful this way too to create other events.
That said too bad xc doesn't run over these xc skiing courses in the xc season. Instead we put on races around athletic fields and inside horse races.
Except for sprint courses, XC ski courses are much more difficult than any running course. They pack in a lot of vertical, and running on the snow would be very difficult.
Cross country would be intruiging. But so would snowshoe running. A sprint (500 m), a mid distance (2 KM), and a distance race 12KM (making it all different from standard race distances) - and yes put these on XC ski courses