200, 10k, Shot, and more? [cutting events]

[Powell]

I'm not remotely a swimming fan, but they scored a PR coup by adding the 50 Free (pure, raw speed). The IAAF should have taken a cue from that and added the same to its program. Seriously.

In terms of time, 50 free is actually a longer event than the 200 meter run.

[Dave]

How much money is generated per sport?

[HopStepJump]

I think this is being blown out of proportion. The London program had 302 events, so to hit the cap of 310 a host city would have to add 8 new events before anything would get cut. There's not much incentive to add a lot of new sports because of venue operating cost and in some cases, additional construction. When you consider security, media, and transportation it all adds to the already monstrous cost of staging the games. I can see making one of the men's walks a sacrificial lamb in the name of gender parity. I think the area where T&F would have to make some real concessions is in the number of athletes. Some events such as the multis and road events could stand a little trimming for starters. I also see 2 entries per nation as a distinct possibility down the road if they need to whittle down further.

[GHM]

Number of athletes should be cut first.

Only two athletes per country per event, same as swimming.

Gymnastic should be cut to six athletes.
Rowing/kayak/Canoeing should be cut to twenty total athletes.
And so on!

[Per Andersen]

In terms of time, 50 free is actually a longer event than the 200 meter run.

Good point! The 50 Free is actually a terrific swimming event, takes about 21 seconds. Can't say that about 50 on the track where some of the top guys do not even reach top speed, over in 5 seconds. Would never rival the 200.

What Swimming should do is eliminate the Breast stroke in the Olympics. Why keep that awkward looking stroke when there is the much faster Freestyle and Butterfly?

[xw]

er...it might be awkward looking (that is debatable), but nonetheless the everybody's style which is easier to learn than any other 3 styles, so in my opinion it's so basic that it shouldn't go

[KDFINE]

I wouldn't want to see the breaststroke eliminated entirely because its an ancient swimming stroke. I'm pretty sure that the crawl/freestyle only goes back a few hundred years, and I suspect that the butterfly is a recent invention. There are too many modern B.S. sports that I can live without. Finally, if anything must be cut it should be "sports" with subjective scoring by "officials" along for a free Olympic ride. As far as our beloved T&F, I could live with only one walk, tougher standards, and more cut throat eliminations in early rounds. Some of the first and second round heats are positively ridiculous.

[einnod23]

Taking out THE most TV-friendly event of the last few Olys.....the 200! That tells you where this sport has gone!

With that, as much as I don't like to see it, the 10,000m is gone! Hammer is going with it! So is the TJ (unless you can find a Willie Banks, Mike Conley, Kenny Harrison, Al Joyner and Jonathan Edwards these days!)

[Hedgecock]

As soon as I saw children taking part in BMX Biking, I knew the Olympics Games as we know them, are done. This is why I feel the IAAF World Championships are now much more important than the Olympics. It would not bother me in the slightest if track & field was taken out of the Games schedule. The thing has become such a monster, filled with fringe sports and media hype, that really t&f would be better off out of it. Of course the traditionalists will disagree, saying that track is the core of the Games, and of course that is true; but to me the accompanying junk of the modern Games is not worth it.

[unclezadok]

Cutting events. A solution for which there is no problem.

[gh]

It's a problem for the people who have ultimate control (in the Olympic sense), and that means it's very mcuh a problem for us.

Or, to play devil's advocate, a good opportunity for track to come up with a slimmer and trimmer product that has a chance of resonating with future generations. Just sayin'!

[unclezadok]

It's a problem for the people who have ultimate control (in the Olympic sense), and that means it's very mcuh a problem for us.

Or, to play devil's advocate, a good opportunity for track to come up with a slimmer and trimmer product that has a chance of resonating with future generations. Just sayin'!

Sometimes I'm glad I'm old.

[TN1965]

I wouldn't want to see the breaststroke eliminated entirely because its an ancient swimming stroke. I'm pretty sure that the crawl/freestyle only goes back a few hundred years, and I suspect that the butterfly is a recent invention.

Freestyle (front crawl) also goes back a few thousands years, according to this site.

http://faculty.deanza.edu/donahuemary/Historyofswimmingsection

Butterfly stroke was invented in 1930s, and was part of the breaststroke event until 1950s, when it became a separate event.

[tm71]

From a limited participation standpoint it probably makes sense to cut all of the relays in swimming and track.

that will not happen. the IOC wants team events, case in points all the "team events" added in the winter olympics. if any changes happen at all it will be the marathon, walks and sprints paring down their fields. personally i do not want any events to go but i would not be surprised if there are one walk event for each gender with much smaller fields. i dont see any track events being eliminated and if any field event is at risk it would be the hammer. i certainly see parring down the fields and having a single tough to reach standard will help with that.

[26mi235]

If you are going to have the marathon, there is no additional cost to having 200 in rather than 100 other than them being on site. I am not sure what they see the real constraint being in that regard.