Pole Dancing – A popular sport moving to the biggest arena the Olympics

As we have seen with the top 10 fitness trends there seems to be a movement to away from traditional exercise and sport to new exciting specialty exercise. The latest fitness news is that there is a push for Pole Dancing to be included which makes sense. The sport of pole dancing combines strength, stamina, flair and artistry which when performed by a professional is made to look very easy. However I can tell you that the athletes that perform these routines are every bit as difficult as many of the other sports that compete for medals at the Olympics including rhythmic gymnastics, ice skating, synchronized swimming and many others.    

The question that should be asked now is why has this surfaced and why is it an issue? Is it because of the low TV rankings of the Olympic winter games. Of course the sport will gain massive interest as more people take up the discipline. I’m of the opinion that the newsworthiness of this sport being included stems back to the seedy past of where the sport originated. If the sport originated from dance studios in the 1800’s like Rhythmic gymnastics then the sport would already have been included in the Olympics. Let’s move past the history of the sport and recognize that to be successful in this sport pole dancers will need to incorporate routines that will require the combining of strength, grace, endurance and flair and will be a spectacle that I would like to see. 



Here are the latest news reports on the topic.

Women Petition To Have Pole Dancing Recognized As Olympic Sport

Female “athletes” around the world are rallying behind the idea that their “sport” of pole dancing be considered for the 2012 Olympics.

A group of women headed by pole dancer KT Coates from England are putting together a petition for the organizers of the Olympics. They hope to have pole dancing considered as a “test event” for the upcoming games in London before being formally added to the bill in 2016.

An excerpt from Coates' petition says,

"After a great deal of feedback from the pole-dance community, many of us have decided that it's about time pole fitness is recognized as a competitive sport, and what better way for recognition than to be part of the 2012 Olympics held in London…" Read More...

Pole Dancers Thrust for Olympic Status

The Winter Olympics may be getting dismal local ratings, but if the pleas of poll dancers across the world to have their "sport" recognized by the Olympics are heeded, we've got a feeling ratings would shoot through the roof….. 

Apparently top pole dancers train like Olympic athletes, and once you remove the g-strings and sweaty dollar bills, is it really that much different than things like ice dancing and rhythmic gymnastics? Read More…

Pole dancing could be recognized as a sport and headed to the Olympics

The strip club mainstay pole dancing - known as much for its sensual moves as its rigorous athletic side - may be headed for the Olympics.

A group of pole-dance advocates is hoping for a "test" event in 2012 and a more formal pitch four years after that, in Rio de Janeiro, according to The Associated Press.

KT Coates, a prominent pole dancer in England and director of Vertical Dance, is leading the Olympic push.

"After a great deal of feedback from the pole-dance community, many of us have decided that it’s about time pole fitness is recognized as a competitive sport, and what better way for recognition than to be part of the 2012 Olympics held in London," she said in a petition she’s preparing for organizers of the London Olympics. Read More….