What events to eliminate or add?

[Norm Balke]

These should be the events

100
400 (I like the 1-turn stagger idea!)
1500/mile (mile for marketing purposes)
10,000
Steeple (with more barriers)
HH
4x1
4x4
4x15??
LJ (moat)
HJ
HT (raised circle)
SP (raised circle)
DT (raised circle)
JT
PV
Dec (both genders)
Marathon

nb

[bad hammy]

New events? How about javelin throwers throwing at race walkers? :shock: :lol: :roll: :P

This cartoonist must have read my post:
http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ft/2006/ft060219.gif

[Mtn Dew]

I would ditch the steeple, it's a bit contrived. I would also lose the hammer throw. I would like to see the women compete with the same implements as the men and do the same hurdle heights/distances. Make it totally equal between men and women. Triple jump could also go and I wouldn't shed any tears.

[Jnathletics]

I always thought an interesting event for those relay meets, like Penn, Drake and Texas, would be a 4xsteeple. All you really need is a track with a water jump on both sides of the track. 8)

[James Fields]

". . . no HS or collegiate meets have the walks."
---------
Collegiate walks for both men and women are included in both the indoor and outdoor NAIA championships.

Walks for male and female athletes are included in high school meets of other nations such as Australia and Canada.

Walks for both male and female USA athletes are included in the youth meets of both AAU and USATF.

[paulthomas]

Farmers walk

Include the farmers walk - where athletes carry heavy weights - over 80m - using the infield.Much prefer watching athletes competing head to head - which is presently lacking in the throws.
Time to get rid - well it would have to be a throwing event - either the hammer or discus .
Also to consider -
Mixed relays
Devil take the hindmost races - ie the athlete in last place after each lap drops out .

[Dutra]

Anybody who answers with "walking" is being fatuous in that 99.9% of the meets you have ever gone to or ever will go to probably don't have a walk, so you have no particular reason to take umbrage with them.

My assumption is that he was referring to Olympic type contests.

[kuha]

On 11Aug1907 in Bergerac, Gonder jumped 31'0"/9.45m. However, it's likely that Gonder moved his hand along the pole as he went, while Chase kept his hands in one position.

Wow, before we had "Volzing" there was "Gondering".

In the 1880s the "climbing" technique was fairly widespread in the pole vault.

[DrJay]

On 11Aug1907 in Bergerac, Gonder jumped 31'0"/9.45m. However, it's likely that Gonder moved his hand along the pole as he went, while Chase kept his hands in one position.

Wow, before we had "Volzing" there was "Gondering".

[DrJay]

Given the thesis of this thread, I also would take out a walk IF I HAD TO REMOVE ONE EVENT.

As much as I like the TJ, it does not seem as "basic" as the other T&F events, and neither does the hammer.

Those were the two I was thinking about as well. They probably seem pretty bizarre to the general public. That said, Jonathon Edwards was so smooth and beautiful to watch I sometimes wondered whether he actually touched the ground on the skip and jump (or is it step and jump?) parts. And seeing big oxes throw any weighty implement is pretty cool as long as they let out the sort scream that would frighten a herd of rhinos.

Adding cross-country would be my choice, except it would dilute out the 5 and/or 10. But maybe we can give up 5/10 doubles, have both the 5 and 10 the first few days and the cross the next weekend, setting up a contest (hopefully) between the 5 and 10 medalists.

[eldrick]

No question it would be the 200, for a couple of reasons: for one, all too often the guys who would be best at it simply ignore it (look at how incredibly weak the men's WC final was in Helsinki), and for two the lane draw screws several guys from the get-go, giving them almost no chance to win.

gh, i have to take umbrage at this !

are gatlin, wally, tyson & capel chopped liver ?!?!

( 2 went sub-20 this year & their pb's are 19.85, 19.86, 19.89 & 19.93 )

the top 1/2 of that field was certainly better than the '00 og

as for lane draw - the athletes know nowdays to run fast in the semi, get a top 2 position & a good time , so that they won't end up in lanes 1 or 2 ( or they shoud know ! )

[richh]

I think GH likes to see if I'm concentrating. Chase's PV for distance was 28'8 on 4May63 in San Jose....but the event was popular at the turn of the last century - Platt Adams jumped 28'2 early in the 20th century, and his best was improved upon by the only non-American to win an OG gold before 1972 - Fernand Gonder (FRA) won won in 1906. On 11Aug1907 in Bergerac, Gonder jumped 31'0"/9.45m. However, it's likely that Gonder moved his hand along the pole as he went, while Chase kept his hands in one position.

[lonewolf]

Someone suggested eliminating the 200 m. I believe the only race in the early Olympics was the 200m "stadia", two lengths of the stadium around a turning post..lets keep the 200m.
IMO racewalking is the logical candidate for elimination. It is sort of a contrived event, difficult to police and watch.
Similarly, steeple and triple jump (even though it is one of my favorites) are "invented" events.. but I would not eliminate either..

[26mi235]

Keep the staggers in the relays. In ordinary events, DQs for various infractions are rare, for the relays they are almost unacceptably high. forcing that 4x400 exchange on the first handoff/break for the pole seems to me to be a bad idea, although I do not remember seeing it any other way.

[mojo]

I've been politicking here for 2 years for a 1-turn stagger in the 400. As it is now, it is BORING and DIFFICULT to watch/understand until the last 100 meters. With a 1-turn stagger they will all HAUL ASS the first 100 meters or so to snatch that pole, then maintain down the back stretch, hang on and gather around the turn, then FAN OUT and may the runner with the most whatever hit the tape first. What a fabulous spectator delight. And just maybe faster times, as the more-aggressive first part of race can overcome the "handicap" of running in lane 1 before heading for home.

.

Never thought about a one turn stagger for the 400m. Not sure I like it (traditionalist that I am) but do you guys think the WR would be faster if MJ had run that way? Would times in general be faster?