What's up? Why can't disc golf get in? Is it in our presentation? Who is the group representing disc golf? What was the answer received from the IOC?

I'd like to see a group dedicated to acheiving this goal and I'm willing to help in any way possible. If there is a group already, I'd like to hear what they have to say.

I definately don't have all the detail on this, but it is somewhat similar to why Football is not in the Olympics. There has to be a certain # of participating countries that all play the same sport and by the same rules. Disc Golf is not out there enough yet for that.

The "real" reason disc golf can't get into the Olympics is that we haven't come up with enough loot to bribe enough people connected with the IOC and the national delegations to even merit their attention, because the "real" meaning of the Olympic Motto, "Citius, Altius, Fortius," is, "The Faster you hand over the loot and the Higher its value, the Stronger your chances of getting in." :eek: :eek: :eek:

The Olympics are soooooo big and sooooo expensive.....8 Billion $$$ pricetag. They do not want to add any more sports to it. And that's it. Will never happen. Stay with the World Games

Synchronized Diving...Synchronized Swimming...Team Handball...Rythmic Gymnastics...come on

We have a legit spot...just need the worldwide promotion and that can only start with our PDGA...

I would think Ultimate has a much better shot than DG.

Probably dead on there...I assume there are colleges, universities and whatever they are referred to worldwide playing ultimate...maybe not enough still....who knows...

We have a legit spot

"Legit" has very little to do with whether or not a sport or other activity is included in the Olympics.

Ballroom dancing, which can be physically strenuous but hardly a competitive athletic endeavor, for example, has been recognized as a "sport" by the IOC. Likewise, bridge, which, despite its supporters' claim that it is a "true sport of the mind," is NOT a sport, is recognized to be a sport by the IOC. (It's contested at the Winter Olympics.) At the same time, legitimate sports such as Cricket, Lacrosse, Racquetball, and Rugby, however, are not recognized by the IOC, and therefore not part of the Olympic roster.

It's been a while since I looked at the procedure for becoming an Olympic sport, but if memory serves, a sport must have an International Federation (IF) and the IF must hold World Championships in order to apply for recognition by the IOC. Also, the IF must apply for recognition a minimum of 6 years prior to the Olympiad at which the sport makes its Olympic Debut, typically, as a demonstration sport. (Note that no medals are awarded for demonstration sports.) IOC recognition and demonstration sport status, however, do not guarantee that a sport will ultimately be added to the roster of Olympic sports.

So, do the recently concluded World Championships count towards that criteria, or not count, seeing as how the WFDF doesn't run them? Or do the Overalls' individual sports' Champs count there?

What about the 'application' part, anybody?

Probably dead on there...I assume there are colleges, universities and whatever they are referred to worldwide playing ultimate...maybe not enough still....who knows...



Like adam said......there isnt enough countries in the sport for it to go all the way to the olympics;)
Hopefully someday it will!!

Recognized sports by the IOC:

RECOGNISED SPORTS LIST



Air sports Netball
Automobile Orienteering
Bandy Pelote Basque
Billiard Sports Polo
Boules Powerboating
Bowling Racquetball
Bridge Roller Sports
Chess Rugby
DanceSport Squash
Golf Surfing
Karate Sumo
Korfball Tug of War
Life Saving Underwater Sports
Motorcycle Racing Water Skiing
Mountaineering and Climbing Wushu

This is from the Olympic Charter:

3.2 To be included in the programme of the Olympic Games, events must have a recognized international standing both numerically and geographically, and have been included at least twice in world or continental championships.


3.3 Only events practised by men in at least fifty countries and on three continents, and by women in at least thirty-five countries and on three continents, may be included in the programme of the Olympic Games.


OLYMPIC CHARTER (http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_122.pdf)

We need to get some African people playing DG, and we'll be well on our way.

Golf surfing, Gracie?

Likewise, bridge, which, despite its supporters' claim that it is a "true sport of the mind," is NOT a sport, is recognized to be a sport by the IOC. (It's contested at the Winter Olympics.)



Wow! You learn something new every day!

I was the primary venue accessibility manager for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Games. In 18 months of work, I never did an accessibility survey on a venue for Bridge, nor does it appear in any of the programs or promotional materials I have archived.

The current sports contested during the Winter Games are: Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Cross-country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Nordic Combined, Short Track Speed Skating, Skeleton, Ski jumping, Snowboarding, and Speed Skating.

There have been several Demonstration (non-medal) sports: Bandy, Ice stock sport, Skijoring, Sled-dog racing, Speed Skiing, and Winter Pentathlon.

The only discontinued sport is Military Patrol, which was a precursor to the Biathlon.

Among some of the "sports" that have been contested in the past in the Summer Games are Tug-of-War, Cricket, Pelota Basque and Croquet.

Sorry, fore. No Bridge. Though not on the lists of sports on the Olympic Programme, Bridge does appear on a list of "Recognised Sports" which also includes Climbing and Mountaineering, Korfball, Sumo, Wushu, Chess, and Orienteering, to name just a few. These sports are governed by International Federations.

To quote from the International Olympic Committee website:

"In order to promote the Olympic Movement, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) may recognise as International Sports Federations (IFs) international non-governmental organisations administering one or several sports at world level and encompassing organisations administering such sports at national level.

In order to be recognised, these organisations must apply the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code and conduct effective out-of-competition tests in accordance with the established rules. The recognition of IFs newly recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) shall be provisional for a period of two years or any other period fixed by the IOC Executive Board. At the end of such period, the recognition shall automatically lapse in the absence of definitive confirmation given in writing by the IOC.

As far as the role of the IFs within the Olympic Movement is concerned, their statutes, practice and activities must be in conformity with the Olympic Charter. Subject to the foregoing, each IF maintains its independence and autonomy in the administration of its sport."

WFDF is probably the closest thing we have to an organization that could become an International Federation, and Dave Nesbitt recently attended the WFDF Congress in Finland, representing the PDGA. I'm sure he will be passing on information on that in the future. I'd think that disc sports in general, and disc golf in particular have a long way to go before they become Olympic Programme sports.

Given the requirement to adhere to the Anti-Doping rules of the IOC, you think collared shirts are an issue?

We need to get some African people playing DG, and we'll be well on our way.



We already have 3 continents:

Australia, Europe, North America

Now we need the 50 countries...the PDGA pushing this and lost of $$$$$'s

If badmiton can be an Olkympic sport, disc golf can get in for sure!

If disc golf made it as an olympic sport, the collared shirt thread would be something else...very scary.

Wow! You learn something new every day!

I was the primary venue accessibility manager for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Games. In 18 months of work, I never did an accessibility survey on a venue for Bridge, nor does it appear in any of the programs or promotional materials I have archived.

[snip]

Sorry, fore. No Bridge.

From the "Bridge and the Olympic Movement page of the World Bridge Federation (http://www.worldbridge.org/IOC/IOC.htm):
The 4th IOC Grand Prix was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, site of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, in February 2002.

This allowed many members of the IOC to attend the event, and the presentation of the matches on Vugraph. At the same time, WBF Executives used the opportunity to explain why Bridge is a sport. The 4th IOC Grand Prix attracted the attention of the world press who had gathared in Salt Lake City for the Olympic Games.



So while bridge was not contested at SLC within the Games proper, it was contested, complete with national teams (an uncle of one of my parishoners was on the Canadian team), during the SLC Games under the banner and auspices of the IOC.

I think that we need DG to be played in atleast 80 of the worlds countries (out of 175 or so) and in at least 80 of those countries there needs to be a league, or championship event (PDGA) in that country. I dont think League night would cut it :(
A friend saw a report on CBC about bringing sports into the Olympics. They talked about Ultimate Frisbee, and the no refs problem. Other wise the Olympics wants them in. Being from Ottawa where the Largest Ulti league in the world is, and knowing more about it then I care to, DG is a much more established sport, run properly, proffesionally, and more organized, has Porfessional's and Am's, a rating system etc. Preatty much has it all, just we need more countries. If any one wants to pay I'll travel the world promoting the sport to various municipal and stategovernments around the world. A friend got back from Korea, they have no clue what DG is.

So while bridge was not contested at SLC within the Games proper, it was contested...during the SLC Games under the banner and auspices of the IOC.



It was not even contested during the Winter Games. Look at your own source. The Bridge tournament was held Feb 2-6. The Games began Feb. 8. The Bridge tournament was held at the Hilton Hotel. This hotel was a spectator lodging facility and was not used by SLOC for any official events or activities. :confused:

I'm not disputing that this card game (yes, it's a card game) appears on the list of "recognised sports" of the IOC, but it was NOT part of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. At the site, maybe. Near the dates, maybe. But not part of. :confused:

But they are going for the gusto by making an attempt to have this "sport of the mind" a part of the Torino Games in 2006. See "The Final Step" here. (http://www.worldbridge.org/IOC/IOC.htm) Of course, the defining factor was that the ever astute former IOC head Juan Antonio Samaranch was the one that gave his blessing. I wonder how many custom made shotguns he got from the Bridge Federation? :D

I can just see it now. Trainers rushing in to massage sore shuffling fingers and bandage paper cuts. The Anti-Doping agency having to come up with a test for gin and tonic. And, by golly, specially designed uniforms to allow movement while passing cards around a table. How interesting. How sporting. It does fill that difficult afternoon time slot between snow sports and ice sports, though. I'll be glued to my TV set for that one, I'm sure. :D

I'm trying really hard to figure out the logic behind defining Bridge and Chess as "sports." All the definitions I can find in various dictionaries have the words "physical activity" or "active" as part of the wording. I guess shuffling and dealing count as these qualifiers. Or lifting those heavy chess pieces from the board. :D Jacks, Marbles, and Tiddly-Winks have more action.

Yeah, there was more than a bit of cynicism in this post, but c'mon. Just because the convoluted rules of the IOC allow recognition of the Bridge Federation as an IF, doesn't mean that it's really a sport or that it really deserves a place beside true sports that require physical activity or a real active participation. Even DanceSport (Ballroom Dancing) and Figure Skating meet those criteria.

And as far as disc golf goes, it pretty much meets the definition of sport, but we have a long way to go before we stand a chance at IOC recognition. Just don't blame the PDGA or WFDF. Blame the culture of the sport.

"I would think Ultimate has a much better shot than DG."

I would like to concur with what Grolly said in response to the above quote. Most ultimate players do not want ultimate in the olympics because they do not want referees. It even was stated so by the president of the UPA on the UPA web site.(she said not necessarily the olympics)

If no one has ever heard of the "spirit of the game", it's basically every one play honarably and call your own fouls. Good sportsmanship rules the day. Kind of the opposite of disc golf in that regard. (Try telling that to Nick Kight - Jk)

So until ultimate organizers decide to join the rest of the athletic world and have referees, it looks like they will continue to be on the outside looking in.

According to the latest disc golf world magazine, there are way more disc golfers in the world than ultimate players. That one really surprised me to be honest.

I think the World Games is a great stepping stone to the Olympics though

Doug

We already have 3 continents:

Australia, Europe, North America



Can't forget the Japanese. That makes Asia the 4th continent.

If no one has ever heard of the "spirit of the game", it's basically every one play honarably and call your own fouls. Good sportsmanship rules the day. Kind of the opposite of disc golf in that regard.



Really? How come the whole "Callahan Observer" thing came about then? I though the reason ulty players didn't want refs was because the "seasoned" players know how to shout down the newer players and get whatever call they want.

Isn't that what ulty sportmanship is all about? Shout down your opponent until s/he gives in, or else take it to ro-sham-bo and throw your once-in-a-lifetime "flare sucker" throw to win. :)

Found this on CNN.COM today.:

************************************************** **********************
Last year, ESPN televised a $100,000 all-star Scrabble game, and on October 3, the network will air an edited version of the now completed 2004 national championship in New Orleans.

So the game is taking its place on television next to high-stakes poker games and spelling bees --
************************************************** **********************
And they can't cover disc golf... yea right.
has anyone even asked ESPN or CBS or ABC to cover Disc Golf ?.Besides a soft e-mail or 2.?
Another question is has the PDGA office even talked to these people? whos job is it to " spread the word " ?

Just asking

Rhett, I think you hit the nail on the head. But you're not supposed to let the cat out of the bag! Those veteran masters need all the help they can get. :D

I think that's also why they changed the defender coverage rule from an arms length to a frisbee length. So you can get right up in their face when you are screaming the count.

I think the spirit of the game worked really when ultimate first started out but the way its grown, I'm not sure its always going to practical. If there's no referees, then who's going to break up the fist fights? Spirit of the Game ;)

I though the reason ulty players didn't want refs was because the "seasoned" players know how to shout down the newer players and get whatever call they want.

Isn't that what ulty sportmanship is all about? Shout down your opponent until s/he gives in, or else take it to ro-sham-bo and throw your once-in-a-lifetime "flare sucker" throw to win. :)


Thats so true. Got to love those seasoned players taking advantage of the rules.

I guess what Felix meant was "there is a bridge in Salt Lake City, and during the Winter Games someone drove over it with a deck of cards in the car. Then they went to the pawn shop, hocked a diamond, drove to the hardware store and bought a spade, took it to the social club, and had a heart attack." Yeah, yeah. That's the ticket.

Jon Lyksett said:


And as far as disc golf goes, it pretty much meets the definition of sport, but we have a long way to go before we stand a chance at IOC recognition. Just don't blame the PDGA or WFDF. Blame the culture of the sport.



Why does anyone need to blame or change anything? Why can't we embrace the culture of the sport? What good does olympic recognition do for anyone, anyway?

Why does anyone need to blame or change anything? Why can't we embrace the culture of the sport? What good does olympic recognition do for anyone, anyway?



We don't need Olympic recognition, but if you read to the top of this thread, the ones that think we oughta have it, blame the PDGA for it not happening. I think the PDGA (current leadership) is smart enough to know it's not worth wasting our resources to attain at this point in time. And like I said before, if you think people are grumpy about the collared shirt rule, how do you think they'll be about mandatory drug testing?

Most people haven't a clue about the Olympics, TV time and sponsorship, or any of the other things that are the "end" of becoming a big time sport. They certainly aren't the means.

We need to get some African people playing DG, and we'll be well on our way.



Already done. There's a course in Durban, South Africa. And I they were working on another one in Johannesburg earlier this year.

We need to get some African people playing DG, and we'll be well on our way.



We already have 3 continents:

Australia, Europe, North America




Don't forget Asia, and (as I said) Africa.

Is 'Central America' now concidered North, or South? 'Cuz there's Disc Golf in Belize [ni British Honduras][per the Summer DGWN].

I believe central america is the southern part of the North American continent, between the country of Mexico and the continent of South America. I could be wrong, but I think that's right :)

As far as the Olympics are concerned, the most pure of all discs sports is the distance throw. It and SCF , fit in very well with the track and field events.
They just need to find a really big field for the Swedes to throw on.
WFDF is the umbrella group that sanctions all disc sports. That is how we made it into the World Games. It took years for that to happen. Cudo's to those who helped out, including but not limited to, Stork and Bill Wright.

SCF?

self caught flight...

More accurately, SCF used to be called (still is) TRC. Throw, Run and Catch. Which is what it is.
Many frisbee tournament events are perfect for the olympics including maximum distance, accuracy, TRC, maximum time aloft (MTA), freestyle (perfect), Ultima and Disc Golf.

It'll take awhile, as disc sports are still too futuristic for most people to grasp.

More accurately, SCF used to be called (still is) TRC. Throw, Run and Catch. Which is what it is.



Not accurate at all, blarg.

SCF is TRC and MTA combined. You do both, apply some factor to one of the scores to make it more in line with the other, and then add them up.

TRC is Throw-Run-Catch, and the measured value is how far you ran. Farther is better. Throw the disc, haul-patootie downfield, and catch the disc.

MTA is Maximum Time Aloft, and the measured value is "hang time" or number of seconds from when the disc leaves your hand to when it touches your hand. You don't necessarily have to run anywhere, but typically have to move a little. :)

Why does anyone need to blame or change anything? Why can't we embrace the culture of the sport? What good does olympic recognition do for anyone, anyway?



We don't need Olympic recognition, but if you read to the top of this thread, the ones that think we oughta have it, blame the PDGA for it not happening. I think the PDGA (current leadership) is smart enough to know it's not worth wasting our resources to attain at this point in time. And like I said before, if you think people are grumpy about the collared shirt rule, how do you think they'll be about mandatory drug testing?

Most people haven't a clue about the Olympics, TV time and sponsorship, or any of the other things that are the "end" of becoming a big time sport. They certainly aren't the means.



While I agree with what you said about there being no need for Olympic recognition, Jon, I still don't understand why you had to say 'Blame the culture of the sport'. What, exactly, in your opinion, is "the culture of the sport", and what is wrong with it?

there's more curling (!) players in the US than members of the PDGA.

face it... disc golf is a teeny weeny little sport based on the numbers of members in its leading organization.

all of the sports (and non-sports) on the IOC list have way more players than the PDGA. doesnt matter how many continents dg is on. we have barely 22,000 members, of which less than 50% are "active". not near enuf for IOC consideration. (now throw away the players who couldnt pass a pee test. that leaves what, maybe 2500 tops?)

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... women's beach volleyball (http://sports.yahoo.com/oly/beach_volleyball/photo?slug=reuters-kerriwalshoftheusholdsth&prov=reuters)

Also factor in how many players are not "TV" appropriate in lieu of past behavior.

Most people haven't a clue about the Olympics, TV time and sponsorship, or any of the other things that are the "end" of becoming a big time sport. They certainly aren't the means.



For those of you that keep metioning that we "have to get disc golf on TV" or we "have to get big time sponsors" or whatever "we" or the PDGA "has" to do to make it big time, reread what Jon said in the above quote. When the sport is big enough, sponsors will be knocking on "our" door. When there are enough players/specatators then the titans of TV will be calling "us". These aren't the things that get a sport to the big time, it's what happens once you are big time.

If you want the sport to grow to huge proportions, ask a co-worker(s) to join you for a round after work. Volunteer time at your local park to help maintain the course. Provide free demonstrations at local schools. Take your wife and or kids to the course the next time you play and play a round together. These are the things that will grow the sport. Our sport is so small in numbers that the grass roots level is where we should concentrate our efforts and it's where our return on investment is going to be the highest. But it means that you need to go out this evening and do something.

human steeplechase rules

What if every player makes it a point to introduce one other person to disc golf (and the PDGA) every year. Shouldn't be too long before we have the numbers needed to get noticed.

Been doin' it about once a month all year (obsessed)!

I wish it didn't say Frisbee!

http://www.ncbuy.com/news/2004-08-25/1010419.html

Quarters as an olympic event...that is about par with bridge :D

Getting DG into the Olympics might be a stretch right now. I think we need to focus on just getting MORE television coverage first.


When the sport is big enough, sponsors will be knocking on "our" door.




If [bleeping] DODGEBALL has an audience on TV, i can't see why Disc Golf wouldn't.

http://www.ncbuy.com/news/2004-08-25/1010419.html#beer

We get mention, but not very high on the list...

Three posts up stick. :D