[TeamTwentyFour]

Happy Olympic season.

Has anybody ever thought about the 24 hour MTB discipline (both solo and team) as an an Olympic sport? Is this possible?

Would like to hear the pros and cons about this.

Yea though I ride through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,
My bike and I shall ride ahead of all evil.


Racing 'Round the Clock
www.teamtwentyfour.com

 

[Trevor!]

I think it would make for a silly olympic event as much as I love the event per se.
It took so long to get MTB in to the olympics and I think there are more deserving sports in waiting to become Olympic events.

 

[bike_freak]

I think it would make for a silly olympic event as much as I love the event per se.
It took so long to get MTB in to the olympics and I think there are more deserving sports in waiting to become Olympic events.

A 24 hour race isn't the best spectator sport But it would be cool for the people that actually are into it, but thats not a very large group of people.
On another note, I find theres lots of olympic sports which shouldn't be there! What with that horse riding around a square??? It's the horse that does all the work! LOL!

 

[Trevor!]

A 24 hour race isn't the best spectator sport But it would be cool for the people that actually are into it, but thats not a very large group of people.
On another note, I find theres lots of olympic sports which shouldn't be there! What with that horse riding around a square??? It's the horse that does all the work! LOL!

Dressage is quite an interesting discipline - Says the guy who had 2 horses

 

[bike_freak]

Dressage is quite an interesting discipline - Says the guy who had 2 horses

Yes, but for people who don't really have a huge interest in horses it's not the best sport to watch.
I think in that way, something like 24hour racing might be possible. More likely 12 hour tho, and they would only show highlights of it ofcourse

 

[honkinunit]

Not likely anytime soon

The Olympics are moving toward more TV friendly events. This is why BMX is being added in 2008.

With that said, I don't think TV is the only factor. Look at shooting, archery, etc.

I think it would be more likely that a shorter team relay event would be added, like what is at the World Championships, without the Junior rider. Maybe two men/two women each doing a lap. That way they wouldn't have to add riders. The already selected XC riders would contest the team event.

The Olympic officials are trying to cut down the number of atheletes and venues. Adding one event will most likely delete another cycling event.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Bike Moto Cross, otherwise known as BMX cycling, will be added to the program for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

One women's and one men's BMX race will replace two track cycling events, yet to be determined, in a bid to attract younger audiences.

IOC president Jacques Rogge called it a "new, spectacular event."

"We believe that this introduction will definitely enhance the Olympic program," he said.

The two new races won't increase the number of events or athletes in Beijing, Rogge said.

Rogge said the International Cycling Union was studying which two events in the current program were the least popular and would be replaced by BMX.

Racing on small stunt bikes, four BMX riders start together and negotiate a jumps-and-bumps obstacle course, built on dirt in the center of the velodrome track.

An elimination process will see the fastest in each heat advancing to the next round. The heats are expected to take less than a minute each.

The introduction of BMX is an attempt to attract the interest of a younger generation, much like the addition of snowboarding in 1998 and freestyle skiing in the early '90s.

Two sports, triathlon and taekwondo, were added for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but there is increasing pressure to cut rather than add sports.

Since his election as IOC president in 2001, Rogge has been pushing to contain spending and "gigantism" in the Olympics.

 

[TeamTwentyFour]

Very interesting article!!!

Yea though I ride through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,
My bike and I shall ride ahead of all evil.


Racing 'Round the Clock
www.teamtwentyfour.com

The Olympics are moving toward more TV friendly events. This is why BMX is being added in 2008.

With that said, I don't think TV is the only factor. Look at shooting, archery, etc.

I think it would be more likely that a shorter team relay event would be added, like what is at the World Championships, without the Junior rider. Maybe two men/two women each doing a lap. That way they wouldn't have to add riders. The already selected XC riders would contest the team event.

The Olympic officials are trying to cut down the number of atheletes and venues. Adding one event will most likely delete another cycling event.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Bike Moto Cross, otherwise known as BMX cycling, will be added to the program for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

One women's and one men's BMX race will replace two track cycling events, yet to be determined, in a bid to attract younger audiences.

IOC president Jacques Rogge called it a "new, spectacular event."

"We believe that this introduction will definitely enhance the Olympic program," he said.

The two new races won't increase the number of events or athletes in Beijing, Rogge said.

Rogge said the International Cycling Union was studying which two events in the current program were the least popular and would be replaced by BMX.

Racing on small stunt bikes, four BMX riders start together and negotiate a jumps-and-bumps obstacle course, built on dirt in the center of the velodrome track.

An elimination process will see the fastest in each heat advancing to the next round. The heats are expected to take less than a minute each.

The introduction of BMX is an attempt to attract the interest of a younger generation, much like the addition of snowboarding in 1998 and freestyle skiing in the early '90s.

Two sports, triathlon and taekwondo, were added for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but there is increasing pressure to cut rather than add sports.

Since his election as IOC president in 2001, Rogge has been pushing to contain spending and "gigantism" in the Olympics.

 

[TeamTwentyFour]

A 24 hour race isn't the best spectator sport But it would be cool for the people that actually are into it, but thats not a very large group of people.
On another note, I find theres lots of olympic sports which shouldn't be there! What with that horse riding around a square??? It's the horse that does all the work! LOL!

The Olympics are moving toward more TV friendly events. This is why BMX is being added in 2008.

This business of "not being a spectator sport" and "not being TV friendly" is a lame crock of BS excuse. If someone can make a hit show about Anna Nicole Smith's personal lifestyle, a show about a group of people doing dumb stuff and trying to "survive" on some "remote" island, or a "reality" show about love/romance/ deception, then surely marathon mountain biking has it's place and can be sucessful too. It's a hardcore, extreme sport with real people and real "drama" and not the artificial fluff that so many of the other current shows on TV have. What's more "reality" than that? People will watch it and if promoted/marketed correctly, it could capture the attention of who-knows-how many more. Correct me if I am wrong, but once that happens then eveyone in the sport/ industry benefits.

One could say that the Tour de France or the Paris Dakar Rallye are not "specator or TV friendly", but we know that this is not the case because the producers have made it so. They have built a history around these events and have developed huge awareness & recognition, all of which adds to the appeal.

By the way...let's compare the RAAM to the Tour or the Dakar. All three are multi-day, ultra long distance events. All three have a history behind them. In fact, the RAAM and the Dakar are almost the same age.
Question: Why are the Tour and the Dakar hugely successful with the specators & the media while the RAAM is not?

I think the answer lies with the way these events are produced.

24hr has the fan and participant base and it is not as small as some think. Some big publications like Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, and Men's Health have published articles and/ or photos about some of the past events. All of this without any "real" promotion of the sport. And just look at how many of these events have sprung up all over the country (and world) in the last 2-3 years. While NORBA participation has declined!

A fan base (which we already have) combined with producers that have creative and artistic vision (which are lacking tremendously) and good PR/ marketing are what can make 24hr as appealing and interesting as any other sport...for spectators and TV at any level....including the Olympics.

What about the X Games, Gravity Games, or some similar format?

Yea though I ride through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,
My bike and I shall ride ahead of all evil.


Racing 'Round the Clock
www.teamtwentyfour.com

 

[titustiguy]

The 1896 Games included a 12-hour race, won by Austria's Adolf Schmal.

Granted it was Track cycling but still 12 hours.

j

 

[The Weasel]

It took so long to get MTB in to the olympics and I think there are more deserving sports in waiting to become Olympic events.

Yeah, like badmiton. Now that's a deserving 'sport'!!!

 

[Ptor]

Have you ever seen competitive badmiton?

Yeah, like badmiton. Now that's a deserving 'sport'!!!

I doubt you (or I) could wack back a single birdie from a legitimate badmiton player... Shouldn't all cyclists understand by now, with all the bashing our sport getsin the mainstream press, that until you're initiated into the sport, it's often less than obvious what makes it tough. We live in a glass house and shouldn't throw stones...

 

[The Weasel]

I doubt you (or I) could wack back a single birdie from a legitimate badmiton player... Shouldn't all cyclists understand by now, with all the bashing our sport getsin the mainstream press, that until you're initiated into the sport, it's often less than obvious what makes it tough. We live in a glass house and shouldn't throw stones...

Of course you are right, but it's still badmiton. I mean, come on, how many school sports program include badmiton? When the last time a buddy told you he signed up for a badmiton league? Who's are these players filling the Olympic spots? Semi pro tennis players?
I was looking at the list of sports. I saw handball, but no raquetball. Maybe we should allow dodgeball and HORSE.

 

[TeamTwentyFour]

What are the requirements for a sport to have Olympic status? Anybody know?

Badminton for example doesn't seem to be that popular in comparison to other sports, so obviously a sport's eligibility can't be based solely on that!

Another good example is Curling (winter games).

Yea though I ride through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,
My bike and I shall ride ahead of all evil.


Racing 'Round the Clock
www.teamtwentyfour.com

 

[ctxcrossx]

What are the requirements for a sport to have Olympic status? Anybody know?

Badminton for example doesn't seem to be that popular in comparison to other sports, so obviously a sport's eligibility can't be based solely on that!

Another good example is Curling (winter games).

Keep in mind that this is a world event. Just because it's not popular in the USA doesn't mean it's not a popular sport in other countries. You also can't base populatiry on TV coverage, because we're shown what we (Americans) want to see.

Chris

 

[Eddie O]

What are the requirements for a sport to have Olympic status? Anybody know?

The sport has to have a sanctioned world championship (I dread the UCI getting involved) and it has to have been an Olympic exhibition event at least once.

Eddie O

 

[honkinunit]

Olympic Badminton

It is spelled Badminton.

I was actually a spectator at the Gold Medal matches for Badminton at the 1996 Olympics. There aren't many Americans who can say that, because the (sold out) venue was JAMMED with Indonesians, Koreans, Chinese and Danes. They all had their cheers, pounded their feet on the bleachers, and generally showed they really got into it.

Professional Badminton is very big in Asia, and pretty big in Northern Europe. I guarantee more people follow Badminton than mountain biking. A Billion Chinese and several hundred million other Asian peoples make it so.

The average person would not score a single point against an Olympic Badminton player. The guy who won the Gold Medal was about 6'7" and barely had to move to reach the shuttlecock. The bird comes off of the racket at up to 200mph. It is a very, very fast game.

http://www.badmintoncentral.com/badminton-central/

The Olympics are international. Trust me, the BILLION people in India don't give a crap about mountain biking any more than you care about Men's Field Hockey.

I'm not a Badminton freak or anything (I was given the tickets to the Olympics), but I gained a huge amount of respect for the sport from seeing them in action.

Of course you are right, but it's still badmiton. I mean, come on, how many school sports program include badmiton? When the last time a buddy told you he signed up for a badmiton league? Who's are these players filling the Olympic spots? Semi pro tennis players?
I was looking at the list of sports. I saw handball, but no raquetball. Maybe we should allow dodgeball and HORSE.

 

[The Weasel]

You are wrong! Serves can reach up to 260. I did a little research myself. I understand it's global popularity, but that is not the measure by which sports are admitted, or maybe it is. The Olympic motto is 'swifter, higher, stronger'. The game just doesn't seem to fit in with these ideals. I sure could be wrong though. Seems something like arm wrestling (or thumb wrestling - isn't there a governing body for this?) or hang gliding would be better suited. Equestrian Dressing definitely doesn't seem to fit the bill. Just my opinion.
Also i don't see how a game (IMO it's not a sport) like baseball is admitted. Yes, it may be popular, but again it doesn't seem to fit the motto, and I am not aware of any sanctioned world governing body. MLB claims the title of world champions, but that a bunch of balony! They're not out there competing against other countires except a few teams from Canada (whose players are from all over the world).