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Olympic changes to track cycling

  • 10-12-2009 8:34pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24


    The International Olympic Committee today revealed changes in the cycling programmes to promote gender parity at the London 2012 Games.

    The IOC ratified the International Cycling Union's proposed changes to the Olympic track cycling programme in full.
    In a bid for gender parity, the UCI and IOC have agreed to a programme to begin at London 2012 which features five men's and five women's events.
    The men's and women's individual pursuits, men's and women's points races and the men's Madison are to disappear in favour of sprints, keirins, team sprints, team pursuits and omniums for both sexes.

    Its a real pity these events are gone from the programme, however I feel its the right decision for gender parity at future Olympics.

    Any chance to see Victoria Pendleton racing in more events is alright by me. :D

    I imagine that there will be alot more omnium events taking place at Sundrive Road next season.


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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,414 Bunnyhopper
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    Is this really about gender equality or is there some other agenda at work?

    I'm just a bit sceptical about the gender equality argument given the whole fuss about women's ski-jumping in the winter Olympics. (It's not allowed because it's too hard on their babymaking lady-parts... No, really, that's pretty much why it's not allowed.)

    Is that sort of nonsense specific to the winter Olympics? It may well be that the summer games are a bit more enlightened, but I did wonder when I saw this being put forth as about gender equality.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 78,393 Beasty
    Admin ✭✭✭✭✭


    As I understand it, it is all about gender equality - there is a strict limit of 10 track medals, and I think London were keen to have equality.

    The strange one is the omnium, which is a multi-event discipline. However the cyclists did not want this - the events are quite similar (it's not like the decathlon in athletics), and it is not something that is regularly included in track events at present. They have gone with this simply because it allows more track exposure - this event means the track events will stretch over about 6 days rather than 3-4.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,995 blorg
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    I'm just a bit sceptical about the gender equality argument given the whole fuss about women's ski-jumping in the winter Olympics. (It's not allowed because it's too hard on their babymaking lady-parts... No, really, that's pretty much why it's not allowed.)
    I read it was more down to quality, there were something like 2,500 male ski jumpers and 150 women doing it, and the IOC did not feel the female quality warranted three Olympic medals. Just not enough doing it at root. They said if the quality improved they would include it in 2014.


  • Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,269 Chips Lovell
    Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Wonder if some of the Irish women will start to look at the track more now they have a better chance of making it to the Olympics.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ninetythree.six


    They already are there is a team of four women competing at the World Cup in Cali which started today.


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  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 78,393 Beasty
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    el tonto wrote: »
    Wonder if some of the Irish women will start to look at the track more now they have a better chance of making it to the Olympics.
    There are (very) limited numbers for most track events, and qualification for the Olympics is based on World Cup/World Championship results. Most of the Olympic places will be taken up by a small number or countries (GB/Aus/France/US etc). Hence I suspect the Irish women will probably still have a better chance of qualifying for the road events.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,833 niceonetom
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    Gender equallity : good. Losing events : bad. So the solution is to simply award more medals. 16, 18, whatever. I really like the madison too. Shame.
    ...the whole fuss about women's ski-jumping in the winter Olympics. (It's not allowed because it's too hard on their babymaking lady-parts... No, really, that's pretty much why it's not allowed.)

    I refuse to believe that kind of nonsense is still going. It's the kind of thing victorians used to say. Steam trains are a menace; travelling at speeds greater than 30 miles per hour will suck the air from one's lungs!! If a lady attempts to run her ovaries will fall out!!! The coloured races are incapable of ice skating due to the nature of their ankles!!!


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 78,393 Beasty
    Admin ✭✭✭✭✭


    niceonetom wrote: »
    Gender equallity : good. Losing events : bad. So the solution is to simply award more medals. 16, 18, whatever. I really like the madison too. Shame.

    Unfortunately there are strict numbers of medals and athletes imposed by the IOC, and a lot of other sports are lobbying to get it. In many ways, therefore, it is more a matter of protecting what we have (and dealing with the gender inequality helps deal with this). The only way the track would get more medals would be to drop other cycling events (road, mtb etc), which would appear even more inequitable.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,833 niceonetom
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    The IOC can give out as many medals as it like to as many sports as it likes. It's beholden to no one. It writes the rules, and it can change them on a whim. More medals please.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,414 Bunnyhopper
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    A bit OT, but there's a post about women's ski-jumping here.

    It does seem that this decision about cycling was actually motivated by a desire for a better gender balance, which has to be a good thing. It is unfortunate that some cyclists who've been training long and hard find their events disappearing.


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