is one of the strongest images in the history of the German athletics sure how Dieter Baumann in 1992, turn a somersault on the tartan track in the Olympic stadium of Barcelona. Over the 5000-Meter distance, he had suspended the African runners in the final sprint. And around the world have long athletes stretch embossed-athletics. Runners such as the Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, or his compatriot, Tirunesh Dibaba. The Same applies to the competitions a Go, especially the East Germans remember the great successes of East German athletes – the Hartwig Gauder or Ronald Weigel, for example.
But times change. So much So, in athletics, that being omitted characteristics of the Olympic core sports. The athletics world governing body IAAF has decided, in mid-March to a Council meeting in Doha and comprehensive reforms. Or in other words: He has the long range disciplines enables at least piles a Death. Starting next year, the longest running track in the competitions, the Diamond League is not to be completed as in the past, over 5000 meters, but only about 3000 meters. Even away from the Diamond League, the Association has apparently no desire to the length.
50 km no future
The IAAF Council, in the by the way no German member is represented, was unanimously in favour of a reduction of the distances in the Go Go. To 2022 should stay in the walkers yet, after that, everything should be on certain routes changed. The only certainty is: The 50 kilometres to Go have no future. The reasons for this are quite easy to name: The world Association wants to make his product TV-ready and marketable and, therefore, the program will streamline. Event of capitalisation that is in the marketers hands.
At the big Meetings like the Diamond League, the new concept is oriented at the same time as such a successful football. In the best case, in 90 minutes, which should be completed in all competitions. A highlight is to follow on the next. However, not all of them are with the plans of the IAAF agreed. Especially from the athletes there was and is resistance. It is in the nature of the thing is that this mainly of the long-distance runners and the walkers. For the SC Potsdam start at the end of Hagen Pohle, one of the best tourers in Germany, is disappointed by the decision of the world Federation. “You didn’t try to come up with the athletes to talk,” he says to the daily mirror. “Before the meeting of the IAAF Council simply issued a simple statement to the press. Massive protests from athletes, coaches, and the Former was not entered.“
development needs. The German track and field head coach Idriss Gonschinska sees the event of capitalisation was positive.Photo: Maurizio Gambarini/dpa
For Pohle and most of his comrades-in-arms, the 50-mile distance of the brand core. It is the classic among the competitions to Go at. “That will lose its appeal,” says Pohle. Unfortunately, the Trend at the Moment is to streamline everything. “But you should not race of chasing every Trend. Otherwise there will soon be no endurance sports more,“ fears the 27-Year-old. For him, the supposedly lack of TV suitability of the long-distance is no Argument. “The competitions are at least summarized, in the case of Transfers, for example in the context of a sports show anyway,” he says. “Because it doesn’t matter if a competition lasts two or four hours.”
athletes fight back against the associations
Pohle with his criticism of the reforms as a proxy for many athletes. On Association level, the opinion-looks a bit more differentiated. Idriss Gonschinska, Senior Director of sports of the German athletics Federation, believes that the athletes circles, often dressed up event capitalization is not a dirty word. “It must be in the athletics development. You must be present to change,“ says the former high-performance athletes. “We have seen in the last year at the European Championships in Berlin, the works. There is this 90-minute window, therefore, there must be adjustments.“ On the other hand, Gonschinska has understanding for the criticism. “Of course, it must also be the aim to preserve fundamental elements of athletics,” he says. “However, this balancing act between Tradition and Modernity is very difficult.”
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Gonschinska could imagine, for example, that competitions are held on the 5000 – or 10000-Meter distance increased as the city runs. “You could think, whether you held a kind of City League, so a series of long-distance races in cities,” he says. Constructive proposals such as the Gonschinska were not the last to hear from the world athletics Association. Under their very forward-looking President Sebastian Coe, the IAAF seems to be currently at the core of the athletics tend to be less interested. A football game lasts 90 minutes, in the athletics to be the case.
