alright now... what is the deal with race walking?

They really need to do away with this "sport". Sport would be releasing hounds to chase them as they make their way to the finnish line. I would sooner see the Bulls of Pamplona chase drunken Spaniards down the track than watch some scrawny sunglasses-wearing former commie dessimate the 50k racewalk by over three minutes. Someone needs to do track and field a solid by sending this bastard lovechild of Galloway and Oprah Whinfrey the way of the Berlin Wall.

I personally don't see what the problem is with race walking. It is no different than timing someone to see how fast they can jump a hurdle or a puddle of water while running around the track as it is to see how fast one can walk around the track. The sport of race walking is harder than you may think. Don't knock it until you try it. As a racewalker myself i find harder at times than it is to run, and let me add that i run anything between a 3k and 10k, so i know both sides of the spectrum. Unless you have gone out and tried it yourself and have mastered all the skills and rules, I suggest that you back off and let racewalkers do their thing.

peace out

Just because it is hard doesn't mean that it should be a sport, let alone an Olympic one. Take, for instance, the 10,000 skip. It is not easy to maintain propper form throughout the duration of the 10k skip, in fact I think it is quite a bit harder than running and I am not unfamiliar with the marathon. Have you tried the 33k pogostick? If you have not, I assume that you would not be against an Olympic 33k skip.

Race walking is stupid. I can't even believe that they made it a sport. Of course they add it as another worthless event in the worthless sport of Track & Field.

Take Ah ahdvice and take Ah ahdvice.

Yeah race walking isn't going to draw the crowds like the running events I don't care how tough it is. And it is race walking I heard that they might be dropping--not Greco-Roman wrestling. I can't see the big endians giving into the little endian in the best of all possible olympics. Can you? Just trying to be clever w/o thinking too hard.

It is sad to see that the meaning of true competition has been lost in athletics. The olympics are now just some big event for countries to show off and people get lots of money from it. Who ever decides on the olympic events are going to throw in whatever draws the biggest crowds...hence more money. It is true that racewalking is not very popular with many people so therefore it will probably be dropped but just because you think that it is some goofy event does not mean you have to be a smart a** about it. If you want to stick to the traditional stuff why don't we run around naked like the ancient greeks did. I sure would not want to see a whole bunch of stick figured guys running around the track. Give me a break buddy.

I hate to diss any athletic endeavor, but racewalking is a complete farce and should be eliminated from the Olympics. The rules are preposterous, the judging is capricious (a polite way of saying arbitrary and biased), and frankly, the cheating is virulent and blatant. There are American racewalking "legends" who have always essentially run low to the ground instead of walked, and their buddies won't call them on it.

I mean...look at it? What sense does it make? Who in the modern era would ever dream up something like racewalking?

Racecrawling...that would be more fun to watch, and a greater and fairer test of skill.

Wentz, give me a break. Faster, farther, higher. I think that they should allow racewalkers to compete with runners so long as they can keep up with them. Until then it is pointless to consider it a sport. The fact that it is boring and does not draw crowds is only one aspect of the ridiculousness of the racewalk. Just because we see no tradition in walking somewhere as fast as possible doesn't mean we should resort to running around naked, although I would sooner accept the latter.

i'm fine with race walking but, as noted above, the judging leaves a little to be desired. race walkers would not like it if i became a judge.

I was always told if you can't beat them cheat them, but for real, racewalking is just another thing for people to enjoy if they want to. No one said that everyone had to agree with it or even like it. The best thing to do if you don't like something is to ignore it....don't watch (that comment was not at all directed towards you personally). True, racecrawling would be a more entertaining event to watch, and I am also sure people would rather go to the zoo and watch a monkey eat their own shit than watch any type of racing event. Some people like it and some don't, much like everything in life.

If you eliminate racewalking from the Olmpics, then you should also get rid of the butterfly, backstroke, etc. from the swimming events. Freestyle swimming only. Like racewalking, they're difficult athletic pursuits, to be sure, but NOT the fastest means of getting from point A to point B.

rock my sister/brotha. you said it. thank you

Perhaps they should have race walking in phys ed since so many people take walking up in their latter years. I really think they should put such into the curriculum. Then maybe the sport would get the respect that it deserves. I wish I could give link right now of article I read that claimed it may be removed from olympics. They are wanting to add so many other sports and they feel a need to subtract some. Race walking is on the top of the list to go by the wayside.

are you seriously making the analogy butterfly:freestyle::racewalking:Geb ?????