It seems to me that it would be the perfect way for cycling to get into the Winter Olympics. It has a huge fan base in Europe and no one would disagree that it’s growing here in the States. How come the UCI doesn’t push for it?
Dear Shona,
You’ve hit upon two questions that have bothered me for a long, long time, so we appreciate your letter.
Olympics question: To start, there is one major, major urdle in that the Winter Olympics requires that included sports are normally contested on snow and/or ice. While many of us who have been to Canadian nationals in Edmonton or the 1999 worlds in Poprad, Slovakia, know that 'cross can be contested on ice and snow, it doesn't have to be.
Let's assume that 'cross gets over that issue and the sport is presented as either a Summer event or it is introduced as some snowy version of 'cross that ensures that it makes it into the Winter Games. Even if 'cross fans got past that problem, they would still face the problem of getting a new discipline introduced to the Games. The International Olympic Committee has some pretty stringent requirements for the introduction of new sports. Both the Summer and Winter Games have established upper limits on the number of events that can be included.
Olympics question: To start, there is one major, major urdle in that the Winter Olympics requires that included sports are normally contested on snow and/or ice. While many of us who have been to Canadian nationals in Edmonton or the 1999 worlds in Poprad, Slovakia, know that 'cross can be contested on ice and snow, it doesn't have to be.
Let's assume that 'cross gets over that issue and the sport is presented as either a Summer event or it is introduced as some snowy version of 'cross that ensures that it makes it into the Winter Games. Even if 'cross fans got past that problem, they would still face the problem of getting a new discipline introduced to the Games. The International Olympic Committee has some pretty stringent requirements for the introduction of new sports. Both the Summer and Winter Games have established upper limits on the number of events that can be included.
IOC president Jacques Rogge has made it clear that the organization’s policy generally dictates that if a new event is to be included in the Games, an existing sport needs to drop out.
“For every novelty, we will need to give up a discipline,” Rogge said in 2004. “Nothing can be added.”
We’ve seen that occur in the past, with the elimination of some track events — the women’s 500-meter time trial, among others — in favor of the inclusion of BMX in Beijing. BMX is a good example of a sport being added by allowing the affected governing body to shuffle its deck and change the type of disciplines contested within its own number of allocated slots.
As we know, cycling doesn’t have any Winter Olympic slots to play with. The inclusion of cyclocross in the Winter Olympics’ schedule would, therefore, have to come about by heavy lobbying on the part of the UCI, not only to introduce a new sport, but to eliminate some other governing body’s allocation.
Now folks, here in Canada we’ve just finished watching what some would define as the longest presidential campaign in history. But as far as politics goes, you ain’t seen nuthin’ until you try to keep track of the goings on in the Lausanne headquarters of the IOC. Indeed, if you want a look at the inner workings of that august organization, I would recommend a good read in Vyv Simsom’s 1992 exposé, The Lords of the Rings: Power, Money and Drugs in the Modern Olympics. It’s full of amazing stories, some of which would make even Machiavelli blush. I believe it’s out of print now, but you should be able to track down a used copy on eBay or Amazon.
That said, cycling does have at least one major player in the upper halls of power at the IOC in former UCI president Hein Verbruggen. Verbruggen, fresh off of his chairmanship of the Coordination Commission for the Beijing Games, has considerable pull in the IOC. Just don’t expect that he’ll be cashing in any of his political capital to push the cause of cyclocross.
Back when he was president of the UCI, we would often ask him about the Olympic prospects of the discipline, usually when we were watching events at the world ‘cross championships with him. He didn’t seem all that receptive.
Verbruggen argues that ‘cross is still too geo-centric to fit in the “global strategy” of advancing all aspects of the sport.
“It’s often dominated by riders from one or two countries,” he said right after another top-five Belgian sweep in Monopoli, Italy, in 2003. “It has increasing appeal in the U.S, maybe Canada, but it’s essentially limited to a few European countries: Belgium being the first, with the Netherlands, France, Italy and the Czech Republic. It really isn’t a global sport, now is it?”
A sound argument, we concede, but we do have an equally sound one-word response: Curling?
“For every novelty, we will need to give up a discipline,” Rogge said in 2004. “Nothing can be added.”
We’ve seen that occur in the past, with the elimination of some track events — the women’s 500-meter time trial, among others — in favor of the inclusion of BMX in Beijing. BMX is a good example of a sport being added by allowing the affected governing body to shuffle its deck and change the type of disciplines contested within its own number of allocated slots.
As we know, cycling doesn’t have any Winter Olympic slots to play with. The inclusion of cyclocross in the Winter Olympics’ schedule would, therefore, have to come about by heavy lobbying on the part of the UCI, not only to introduce a new sport, but to eliminate some other governing body’s allocation.
Now folks, here in Canada we’ve just finished watching what some would define as the longest presidential campaign in history. But as far as politics goes, you ain’t seen nuthin’ until you try to keep track of the goings on in the Lausanne headquarters of the IOC. Indeed, if you want a look at the inner workings of that august organization, I would recommend a good read in Vyv Simsom’s 1992 exposé, The Lords of the Rings: Power, Money and Drugs in the Modern Olympics. It’s full of amazing stories, some of which would make even Machiavelli blush. I believe it’s out of print now, but you should be able to track down a used copy on eBay or Amazon.
That said, cycling does have at least one major player in the upper halls of power at the IOC in former UCI president Hein Verbruggen. Verbruggen, fresh off of his chairmanship of the Coordination Commission for the Beijing Games, has considerable pull in the IOC. Just don’t expect that he’ll be cashing in any of his political capital to push the cause of cyclocross.
Back when he was president of the UCI, we would often ask him about the Olympic prospects of the discipline, usually when we were watching events at the world ‘cross championships with him. He didn’t seem all that receptive.
Verbruggen argues that ‘cross is still too geo-centric to fit in the “global strategy” of advancing all aspects of the sport.
“It’s often dominated by riders from one or two countries,” he said right after another top-five Belgian sweep in Monopoli, Italy, in 2003. “It has increasing appeal in the U.S, maybe Canada, but it’s essentially limited to a few European countries: Belgium being the first, with the Netherlands, France, Italy and the Czech Republic. It really isn’t a global sport, now is it?”
A sound argument, we concede, but we do have an equally sound one-word response: Curling?
Cross As A Winter Olympics Sport
It is undeniable that the dramatic growth of cyclocross continues in the United States and countries around the world. Yet many riders have expressed the dissatisfaction with the lack of support provided by governing bodies, and it’s often blamed on cyclocross’ non-Olympic status. Olympic sports are what attract dollars, from both the U.S. Olympic Committee and from private donors. Yet the sport’s growth is helping to fund those very governing bodies.
What can cyclocrossers do to change that? You can:
1. Lobby your governing body for more support of ‘cross
2. Encourage more private funding earmarked for ‘cross
What can cyclocrossers do to change that? You can:
1. Lobby your governing body for more support of ‘cross
2. Encourage more private funding earmarked for ‘cross
3. Hope and pray that ‘cross becomes an Olympic sport
Cyclo-cross as Olympic sport?
Could cyclo-cross become an Olympic sport? The Dutch newspaper Telegraaf reported Thursday that a group of supporters of the idea have been busy working to make it happen. Members of the Italian cycling are reportedly working together with the International Olympic Committee and the UCI to make it happen
Diego Vollaro of the Italian federation told the paper that cyclo-cross could start as a demonstration sport as early as the Vancouver Winter Olympics in February of next year. The sport had previously lost out on becoming part of the Games because the athletes involved were mainly from Europe and the Games, and the event requires more international participation. But that has changed in recent years with Canada, the USA, Japan and even Zimbabwe fielding riders in elite competitions.
Another rule could prove more of a stumbling block. The winter Games require a sport take place on ice or snow, but according to the report, that rule is under consideration.
"Next week the board and I will discuss it," said UCI executive board member Joop Atsma. "If there is only a small chance of success, it would be wonderful."
Adding cyclo-cross to the Games would help fuel the Olympic dreams of riders who make the sport their primary goal of the year. Riders like Sven Nys, who devoted extra time to mountain biking in order to be eligible to compete in the Games, or American Katie Compton, who does not pursue track, road or mountain bike racing at the Olympic level.
"I think that would be great," Compton told Cyclingnews. "They have BMX in there now so why not 'cross too?"
From Here
Diego Vollaro of the Italian federation told the paper that cyclo-cross could start as a demonstration sport as early as the Vancouver Winter Olympics in February of next year. The sport had previously lost out on becoming part of the Games because the athletes involved were mainly from Europe and the Games, and the event requires more international participation. But that has changed in recent years with Canada, the USA, Japan and even Zimbabwe fielding riders in elite competitions.
Another rule could prove more of a stumbling block. The winter Games require a sport take place on ice or snow, but according to the report, that rule is under consideration.
"Next week the board and I will discuss it," said UCI executive board member Joop Atsma. "If there is only a small chance of success, it would be wonderful."
Adding cyclo-cross to the Games would help fuel the Olympic dreams of riders who make the sport their primary goal of the year. Riders like Sven Nys, who devoted extra time to mountain biking in order to be eligible to compete in the Games, or American Katie Compton, who does not pursue track, road or mountain bike racing at the Olympic level.
"I think that would be great," Compton told Cyclingnews. "They have BMX in there now so why not 'cross too?"
From Here
wow! thanx dave for answering my question!i was looking for the answer too but could not find anything.
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