Commentary: To New Heights

One of the featured stories during 2014 was the rumors surrounding the IOC's intent to manage the size of the Summer Olympics.  One  "suggestion" that caught people's attention was the rumor that events, such as the 200 meters, triple jump, and 10K would be dropped from the Olympic program.

The mere suggestion that such "surgery" would impact the track and field competition at the Games drew much response and a declaration that the suggestion was more fiction than fact.  What is not disputed is that new IOC president Thomas Bach is serious about "modernizing" the Games, making it more attractive to certain audiences, and bolstering the "brand" of the Games against any attempts to cut into its commercial appeal.

This is not a new concept.  Not that long ago wrestling and other sports were told they were in a pool of sports being considered from losing their spot in the Games.  Wrestling took a proactive approach and mounted a successful campaign to convince the IOC of the viability of the sport on the Olympic program. Some have suggested that sports or events that are threatened should do the same.

As Peter Gambaccini wrote recently in Running Times, the track 10K is nearing extinction in the major European meets.  The event has been deemed too long for video/TV broadcast and lacked, until the UK's Mo Farah swept the 5K and 10K titles at the IAAF and World Championships, a marketable champion for US and European audiences.

Even in road racing, the 5K and 10K events have taken a back stage to the marathon, half marathon, and road miles that have dominated the exposure for elite and non-elite events.  If there is one event in track and field, however, that has thrived in the modern sports scene it's the pole vault.  This year Sergey Bubka's World Record was finally broken indoors.  All over the US and overseas, street vaults, beach vaults, and here in Minneapolis the Brits Pub Vault drew competitors and crowds.

The pole vault community has a large presence on social media with people, such as photographer Mike McCarthy posting daily photos on Twitter and currently counting down his top 20 PV photos of 2014.

Pole Vault Photo of the Year - TOP 20 #20 @airlavillenie from Oct 7 #polevault http://t.co/DmEMo2fYXS @Nike pic.twitter.com/7FKoulBekB
— Mike McCarthy (@McCarthysan) December 28, 2014

For whatever reason the pole vault community has taken it upon itself to market the event and create a brand of their own.  On January 16-17 in Reno, Nevada the 2015 UCS/Spirit Pole Vault Summit will be held again.  Not only will top US vaulters past and present be there, but the new world record holder Renaud Lavillenie will be back again this year.  There are sessions for high school vaulters on up to the Masters.  The slogan for the event is: Encourage - Engage - Educate - Inspire

The events on the potential Olympic chopping block might want to follow the pole vault community's example.  Show the world your event.  Educate, engage, and inspire them.  Show them why your event or events have value to the world of sports and the Olympic Games.  USATF rejoiced at the increase in sponsor money in this year's budget.  They might want to spread some of that around into event promotion. Even if the suggestion that events be dropped is only a rumor, increasing the visibility of these events can only help the sport as a whole.

As the saying goes: "God helps those who help themselves."  Now would appear to be the time to follow that suggestion.