Since Thursday, all I've been doing has been watching the Winter Olympics. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but not really. While watching cross country skiing, I got to thinking: why isn't XC running a summer Olympic event?
As a runner, former XC athlete, a huge fan of the sport, of course I'm totally biased. But XC running would actually be the perfect Olympic addition. Here's why:
It's the ideal combination between individual and team competition. Obviously, at the front of the race you'd have athletes racing for gold, silver, and bronze...that's the same as any other racing event, and every other Olympic event. The difference, however, is that after the three medalists are determined, interest in the race doesn't end -- it gets more intriguing! When the top runners finish, the team race begins: five team runners with the lowest combined score (with a potential sixth runner acting as a tiebreaker). So in the same event, you have individual competition combined with national competition; runner vs. runner and nation vs. nation. The Olympics are all about individual success partnered with national pride; Cross Country is the only event that combines both in the same venue.
Track is consistently the most popular Olympic event. Why not add something similar? Remember when the IOC was considering adding Ballroom Dancing to the Olympic docket? All because of the popularity of shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance? If the IOC (and TV networks and host countries) are concerned about popularity of their events, then they ought to expand those that are already most popular. Cross Country fits that bill.
It would give more athletes from each country the opportunity to compete. Not only would the world's best be competing against each other for the win, but the rest of a nation's elite would also have the opportunity to fill out the team while contributing to a medal effort. Since Cross Country is as much a team event as it is individual, it allows for a more athlete-inclusive atmosphere. It is commonly stated that in this sport, a team's fifth runner is just as important as the first runner; this allows the spotlight to be shared by the stars and the role-players alike, so to speak.
It used to be an Olympic event! Cross Country was an Olympic event between 1912 and 1924, with past champions including the legendary Flying Finns led by Paavo Nurmi. It's time to bring history back to life.
Of course there are plenty more reasons to add Cross Country running to the Olympic menu, but these are the ones that came to my head right away. I think it's a no-brainer, but again, I'm slightly biased. You got any other good arguments? Sound off!
As a runner, former XC athlete, a huge fan of the sport, of course I'm totally biased. But XC running would actually be the perfect Olympic addition. Here's why:
It's the ideal combination between individual and team competition. Obviously, at the front of the race you'd have athletes racing for gold, silver, and bronze...that's the same as any other racing event, and every other Olympic event. The difference, however, is that after the three medalists are determined, interest in the race doesn't end -- it gets more intriguing! When the top runners finish, the team race begins: five team runners with the lowest combined score (with a potential sixth runner acting as a tiebreaker). So in the same event, you have individual competition combined with national competition; runner vs. runner and nation vs. nation. The Olympics are all about individual success partnered with national pride; Cross Country is the only event that combines both in the same venue.
Track is consistently the most popular Olympic event. Why not add something similar? Remember when the IOC was considering adding Ballroom Dancing to the Olympic docket? All because of the popularity of shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance? If the IOC (and TV networks and host countries) are concerned about popularity of their events, then they ought to expand those that are already most popular. Cross Country fits that bill.
It would give more athletes from each country the opportunity to compete. Not only would the world's best be competing against each other for the win, but the rest of a nation's elite would also have the opportunity to fill out the team while contributing to a medal effort. Since Cross Country is as much a team event as it is individual, it allows for a more athlete-inclusive atmosphere. It is commonly stated that in this sport, a team's fifth runner is just as important as the first runner; this allows the spotlight to be shared by the stars and the role-players alike, so to speak.
It used to be an Olympic event! Cross Country was an Olympic event between 1912 and 1924, with past champions including the legendary Flying Finns led by Paavo Nurmi. It's time to bring history back to life.
Of course there are plenty more reasons to add Cross Country running to the Olympic menu, but these are the ones that came to my head right away. I think it's a no-brainer, but again, I'm slightly biased. You got any other good arguments? Sound off!
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