Speedwalking: an olympic event?

[brad7686]

I saw it last night and laughed for literally five minutes straight. Its completely ridiculous in my opinion. It looks like people desperately walking to a lone port-o-john across the finish line, but afraid to run because they might soil themselves. Can anyone validate this as being Olympic worthy?

[Sir_Monk]

I think you might mean Racewalking. according to wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racewalking#Olympics

Racewalking is an Olympic athletics (track & field) event with distances of 20 kilometers for both men and women and 50 kilometers for men only. Racewalking first appeared in the modern Olympics in 1904 as a half-mile walk in the 'all-rounder,' the precursor to the 10-event decathlon. In 1906, stand-alone 1,500m and 3,000m racewalks were added, and – excluding 1924 – there has been at least one racewalk (for men) in every edition of the Olympics since. The women's racewalk became an Olympic event only in 1992, following years of active lobbying by female internationals. A World Cup in racewalking is held bienially, and racewalk events appear in the IAAF Athletics World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the Pan American Games, among others.

[MDSKINSFAN]

I think you might mean Racewalking. according to wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racewalking#Olympics

Racewalking is an Olympic athletics (track & field) event with distances of 20 kilometers for both men and women and 50 kilometers for men only. Racewalking first appeared in the modern Olympics in 1904 as a half-mile walk in the 'all-rounder,' the precursor to the 10-event decathlon. In 1906, stand-alone 1,500m and 3,000m racewalks were added, and – excluding 1924 – there has been at least one racewalk (for men) in every edition of the Olympics since. The women's racewalk became an Olympic event only in 1992, following years of active lobbying by female internationals. A World Cup in racewalking is held bienially, and racewalk events appear in the IAAF Athletics World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the Pan American Games, among others.

what if you accidentally run? are you DQ?

[NC43Hog]

I think you might mean Racewalking. according to wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racewalking#Olympics

Racewalking is an Olympic athletics (track & field) event with distances of 20 kilometers for both men and women and 50 kilometers for men only. Racewalking first appeared in the modern Olympics in 1904 as a half-mile walk in the 'all-rounder,' the precursor to the 10-event decathlon. In 1906, stand-alone 1,500m and 3,000m racewalks were added, and – excluding 1924 – there has been at least one racewalk (for men) in every edition of the Olympics since. The women's racewalk became an Olympic event only in 1992, following years of active lobbying by female internationals. A World Cup in racewalking is held bienially, and racewalk events appear in the IAAF Athletics World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the Pan American Games, among others.

what if you accidentally run? are you DQ?

yes

[brad7686]

I think you might mean Racewalking. according to wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racewalking#Olympics

Racewalking is an Olympic athletics (track & field) event with distances of 20 kilometers for both men and women and 50 kilometers for men only. Racewalking first appeared in the modern Olympics in 1904 as a half-mile walk in the 'all-rounder,' the precursor to the 10-event decathlon. In 1906, stand-alone 1,500m and 3,000m racewalks were added, and – excluding 1924 – there has been at least one racewalk (for men) in every edition of the Olympics since. The women's racewalk became an Olympic event only in 1992, following years of active lobbying by female internationals. A World Cup in racewalking is held bienially, and racewalk events appear in the IAAF Athletics World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the Pan American Games, among others.

Well that changes everything. I thought it was based on a recent fad. I guess walking ridiculously has always been important.