cycling at the olympics. how each event is chosen...

ewan
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 7:49 pm

cycling at the olympics. how each event is chosen...

Postby ewan » Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:34 pm

hi i am wondering if anyone knows how different events are selected for inclusion (or exclusion) at the olympics.
i believe there have been recent(ish) changes in cycling. BMX is in and something out due to that. so was there a formal process by a governing body for the decision.
cheers ewan

timbo
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1001
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: sydney

Postby timbo » Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:55 pm

The 1000m time trial has been deleted from the Olympics.
No-one seems to know why, as it is a traditional event, one of the easiest to understand, and one everyone looks forward to watching it.

I dare say there is plenty of political goings on to get certain events included on the Olympic program.

User avatar
Chuck
Posts: 4376
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:19 pm
Location: Hiding in the bunch

Postby Chuck » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:13 pm

timbo wrote:The 1000m time trial has been deleted from the Olympics.
An absolute travesty, love this event.

User avatar
Chuck
Posts: 4376
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:19 pm
Location: Hiding in the bunch

Postby Chuck » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:15 pm

timbo wrote:it is a traditional event, one of the easiest to understand, and one everyone looks forward to watching it.

Couldn't agree more!

User avatar
Mulger bill
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 29060
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:41 pm
Location: Sunbury Vic

Postby Mulger bill » Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:59 pm

They dropped the kilo :?: :shock: :roll: :roll:

Track racing at it's purest, ultra speed, ultra tension, ultra intensity.
Are these tossers going to the same dealer as Boonen or what?

Am I the only bloke who bled inside when Shane pulled outta the pedal way back when?

Shaun
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011

User avatar
tallywhacker
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:21 pm
Location: Perth

Postby tallywhacker » Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:54 am

I believe it the kilo was dropped because the men and women’s BMX events were being added to the Olympic cycling events and as the number of cycling medals and cyclists were to remain the same some cycling events would have to be sacrificed to make room.

User avatar
AUbicycles
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15579
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:14 am
Location: Sydney & Frankfurt
Contact:

Postby AUbicycles » Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:33 am

I am sure it is BMX racing and not freestyle or anything with a jury... but as a medal event? Has it been a demonstration sport already?
Cycling is in my BNA

User avatar
tallywhacker
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:21 pm
Location: Perth

Postby tallywhacker » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:13 am

they decided to include it in the 2008 olympics in 2003. I have a feeling it was a demo sport in sydney (?)

DrJ
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:19 pm
Location: Perth

Postby DrJ » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:59 am

Still cannot believe they dropped the kilo - it's akin to dropping the 100m from track and field. I think it sucks that they had to drop any track events at all, but if they did it seems strange that something like the points race (which the average punter doesn't understand) didn't go instead.

User avatar
Aushiker
Posts: 22388
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 1:55 pm
Location: Walyalup land
Contact:

Postby Aushiker » Wed Jun 25, 2008 11:25 am

G'day

As I understand it, each host can include an event or events at their Olympics. Not sure if these are just demonstration events or formal ones.

Andrew
Andrew

ewan
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 7:49 pm

Postby ewan » Wed Jun 25, 2008 12:47 pm

i'm going by secondhand or worse info.
but i understood it to be a case of cycling being allowed so many events.
so i wondered how the decision to change them were made.
i had been discussing another sport and the risks it faced by wanting to change the form of it's competition. it was suggested -ioc- that they would have to abandon thier olympic status and reapply competing with all others that are not currently included. (and it's not a big sport or very tv friendly) but we noted that cycling had changed it's event without this penalty.. we're assuming it's based on cyclings wide appeal to tv viewing noncyclists?
cheers

User avatar
tallywhacker
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:21 pm
Location: Perth

Postby tallywhacker » Wed Jun 25, 2008 2:32 pm

the IOC told the UCI in early 2005 they had to drop 2 track events (had to be track and not road for some reason). the UCI did an analysis of TV figures and found that the mens kilo and womens 500m were not as strong as other events. they also survey the 24 cycling federations who were at Athens (only 19 replied).
McQuaid wrote:"You've got to realise that each federation votes in its own interests. Those countries that don't have any specialists in the kilo voted against the kilo. If we ran the survey again we'd get the same differing answers.

"The kilo has a long history in the Olympics but it's a speciality of just a few, big nations. You can tell which medals will go where before the event starts. Lots of countries don't bother to put athletes in because they know they can't win. The points race is more open, more countries have a chance of placing. You don't know who's going to win. A few years back there was a rider I think from Uruguay got a medal in the points race, the first cycle medal for Uruguay."

lisanne
Posts: 194
Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 7:07 pm
Location: Thornbury, Vic
Contact:

Postby lisanne » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:50 am

The women's 500m TT was also cut - so that means the female sprinters have one... yes only ONE event - ridiculous!

User avatar
sogood
Posts: 17168
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:31 am
Location: Sydney AU

Postby sogood » Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:35 pm

It's no surprise the Kilo got canned. From a spectator's point of view, it really is quite dry to watch just one rider going round and round. And given the close link b/n sponsorship/TV coverage money with modern Olympics, the decision is obvious.
Bianchi, Ridley, Tern, Montague and All things Apple :)
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.

DrJ
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:19 pm
Location: Perth

Postby DrJ » Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:26 pm

lisanne wrote:The women's 500m TT was also cut - so that means the female sprinters have one... yes only ONE event - ridiculous!
Yeah, totally sucks that Anna Meares won't be able to go for back to back titles :(

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users