I didn't want to hijack other threads but did want to offer this thought.
Sailing differs from other Olympic sports as much as winter and summer sports differ from each other. I believe that if we are to have a continued presence in the Olympics we'd be better served with separate games, just as Winter and Summer are separate.
Then nobody would care. At all. Probably the only reason there is sailing in the Olympics is its latched onto the summer games. Take that away it would whither and die pretty quickly. (I'd bet anyway)
Could you elaborate on the differences that suggests a need for a separate event?
So there should be the Aquatic Games?
Need?
Only a drowning man needs a boat.
- anon. Sailing is so anachronistic the general public just doesn't get it.
IIRC, the Tornado was lost to the Olympics because it was felt that sailing didn't generate enough revenue, and the resultant in-fighting left the T as odd man out.
Differing from Karl, I'd say that only sailors care about sailing. Separate games would at least put sailing in an event specific to the discipline rather than being merely tolerated.
No, I'd leave swimming where it is.
Neptune Games! Or maybe
Atlantis Olympics
to include all the water sports, sailing, rowing, water polo, swimming, etc.
BUT...always hold them in Fiji!
Having sailing in the Olympics helps encourage young people to learn to sail. I don't think that sailing would die without such help, but why bite the hand that gives us treats?
It doesn't really matter, the IOC isn't listening anyway.
Sort of like Alter Cup, US Sailing Championships, ISAF worlds,... that sort of thing? For sailors by sailors?
Or you want the Olympic Committee to set up an entirely different set of competitions?
To reference swimming, they're in the Olympics but have their own separate set of world championships, etc. No different than sailing..
So the olympics is like a giant
Mash-up
of a bunch of different sports to garner viewer attention, and once the viewer's interest is piqued in a particular sport, they can watch elsewhere
I'm still looking for the naked curling world championships, but i DID find the pole dancing world championships...
My take is the Olympics are going to have a spot for anything that makes money. If doesn't pay, it's on the way out.
Pole dancing champs huh? Do I want to know? No big fat hairy guys I hope.
So you're saying: Winter Olympics, Summer Olympics, and Water Olympics?
No, sailing as a stand alone.
We have so many different kinds of boats that bringing everyone together in one place at one time is impractical. You might have keel boats in Kiel, Multis in Australia and Lasers in St. Pete at different times of the year. The IOC could franchise, through ISAF, a MNA to hold events for qualified classes. As it stands now, trying to select THE Olympic boat even among multihulls is divisive, imo.
I have the sneaking suspicion that if the Olympics goes to ONE boat (and it seems to be heading that way) it will be something like the AC45.
Then what would the difference be between going to that particular olympic class's world championship vs. the non-olympic event be?
I'd think you'd wrap them together, the worlds would be the Olympic event.
With the Olympic brand it would, presumably, be more prestigious. I'd think it woud have a better advertising draw as well.
I'm viewing this under the presumption that sailing will occupy an ever dwindling presence at the Olympics; finally replaced by an elite boat for elite (monied) sailors.
are professional athletes allowed in the Olympics? i recall some hubris about that years ago with the basketball and hockey events
My feeling is they are all professionals.
yes, for many years
The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the
Dream Team
, was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players
It's very hard to be
The Best
at...anyting, unless you do it full time. If you are doing it full time, you don't have time for a day job, it becomes your full time job.
So, by default, if you are an Olympic caliber -whatever-, you are a professional -whatever-. The pay may suck, but you are getting paid.
Remember when the Russians got around the old
Amature Athlete Only
rules by putting their entire hocky team in the
Red Army
.
For some reason I've been thinking about this a lot lately and decided that going back into anitquity the Olympics were kind of an international arms show. That would make it anything but amateur.
I think that was part of USA's argument to allow our Pro's into the Olympics. Up until then, we were putting our college kid teams up against other countries Pro's.
That's what made the
Miracle on Ice
so special, when a bunch of our college kids beat the Russian Red Army (Pro) hocky team.