Sad day for X-C

[Jnathletics]

From the article attached to the front page.

Cross country: The IAAF, track's governing body, voted to hold the cross country World Championships every other year instead of annually. African men have won every race since 1986. American Craig Virgin won titles in 1980 and 1981.

I guess I don't understand why they keep changing things. I always liked the two day meet and short course and long course races. Now it appears X-C will fall farther down the priority list. I thought they were trying to get it in the Winter Olympics. A lot big names, Geb, Tergat and Bekele all wanted this. So, how does holding it every other year help get it into the WO's? Doesn't this show there is either less interest in it or not enough competition?

[Daisy]

Re: Sad day for X-C

So, how does holding it every other year help get it into the WO's?

Possibly they are preparing for a relationship similar to the summer championship with one off year being an olympic event?

[gh]

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/discus ... hp?t=37173

[Cooter Brown]

Re: Sad day for X-C

Looks like IAAF has made the request to add XC to the WOG...

As requested by the International Olympic Committee, the IAAF has prepared and submitted a Questionnaire concerning the Review of the 2018 Winter Olympic Programme to include Cross Country Running (following the original request from leading cross country athletes like Paul Tergat and Haile Gebrselassie).

The IOC Programme Commission will study the document in August 2010 and come back to IAAF, if necessary, for further clarifications before submitting it to the IOC Executive Board, for decision.

http://www.iaaf.org/aboutiaaf/news/newsid=57913.html

[kuha]

Re: Sad day for X-C

I guess I don't understand why they keep changing things. I always liked the two day meet and short course and long course races.

I'm an old timer and REALLY liked the original, really simple version: one race for men, one for women, period. I hate it that they've mucked around with this great race and decided it won't be an annual event. This is "progress"??

[Conor Dary]

Re: Sad day for X-C

I guess I don't understand why they keep changing things. I always liked the two day meet and short course and long course races.

I'm an old timer and REALLY liked the original, really simple version: one race for men, one for women, period. I hate it that they've mucked around with this great race and decided it won't be an annual event. This is "progress"??

I agree with that. The short course was only Primo's silly idea of trying to get milers to run, which really didn't happen.

Amazing, though not surprising given that it is primarily a dual meet now, that the best event is relegated to every other year.

[rasb]

Re: Sad day for X-C

Hopefully, someone will decide there should be at least "Continental Championships" for Cross-Country every year. In the Spring of Course, not in the Fall, please. Take a few more months, and keep the aerobic base building going, for Gawds Sakes. It is neither a new nor an unproven formula for success, of course...Who remembers that John Walker was once 4th at the World Cross Country, for instance?

[gh]

Re: Sad day for X-C

The IAAF was in a tough spot on this one, finding it very hard to find anybody who wanted to host the meet and then to find somebody willing to buy TV rights. In times of fiscal belt tightening the bottom line must have been pretty ugly.

[mal]

Re: Sad day for X-C

Sad, but it's expensive to turn up for one day - ostensibly to compete in the African Championships.

[4:24-miler]

Re: Sad day for X-C

XC will be in the winter Olympics? How exactly would that work? The Winter Olympics are usually in the dead of winter in some really cold and snowy locations. Are the world's best runners really going to slog it out in the snow?

[Flumpy]

Re: Sad day for X-C

For an Olympic Gold medal?

You betcha!!!

Cross country races are supposed to be run in the dead of winter, in sticky muddy even snowy conditions, not the gold courses with a couple of carefully placed bales of hay we've got used to in recent years.

[rasb]

Re: Sad day for X-C

Virtually all recent Winter Olympics have been hosted between a City, and an Alpine area/resort. Thus Vancouver ( at sea level, and with a very temperate climate in the winter, early spring) and Whistler at 5 or 6000 feet, would have been an excellent venue to have cross-country in or around Vancouver, as were all the arena sports, and the skiing up at Whistler. Many other locales around the World can do this easily.

[Halfmiler2]

Re: Sad day for X-C

Bring on the Tibetans! :wink:

[Friar]

Re: Sad day for X-C

Who remembers that John Walker was once 4th at the World Cross Country, for instance?

Well, not me: so I looked into my files. T&FN " John Walker worked his way through the field and finished fast to take 4th."
Billy Rodgers got third with Ian Stewart winning ( 35:20)-- in Rabat -- and Kiwi's taking the team title easily (good times).