Pieterse: “Instead of bickering about distances, rather aim to get cross-country back to the Winter Olympics. It will open the Winter Games to many countries who cannot compete…”
Radcliffe and Pieterse on the XC distance debate 👉 https://t.co/HKCJom2qh2
📸 @AthleticsImages
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) January 8, 2021
A good discussion on why cross country should be back in the winter Olympics….
That the IOC did not add cross-country is just another example of the lack of reality that the IOC lives in. Attracting young people to global sports is a conundrum that the IOC must deal with. I’m not sure break dancing, a talent in the 1980s, is a sport, and cross-country does not get added.
Radcliffe and Pieterse about CC debate
Cross country was actually in the Olympics in 1924! photo Olympics.org
LONDON (GBR): Running legends Paula Radcliffe and Zola Pieterse (formerly Budd) have weighed in on the debate over equalising men’s and women’s distances in cross country. Pieterse, World Cross champion in 1985 and 1986, downplayed the issue, saying: “I believe the wrong question is addressed. Cross country is in a precarious position as it has to compete against road racing, trail and the parkruns. Constant new challenges are arising, such as obstacle running, which is gaining popularity…. Instead of bickering about distances, rather aim to get cross-country back to the Winter Olympics. It will open the Winter Games to many countries who cannot compete.” Three-time World Cross champion Radcliffe added: “It could have huge repercussions for the elite side which I don’t think are understood by the people who are dealing with it. I think they are trying to be politically correct and going for gender equality but not actually thinking about the performance side.” UK Athletics has recently been consulting clubs on the equalisation debate. From Athletics Weekly.
Cross country is a huge women’s sport, photo by Mt.SAC.edu.
