Women's Pole Dancing as Olympic Sport?

If you were left devastated a few years back to learn that women's softball was dropped from the 2012 Olympic games, perhaps this news will make it all better?

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

BY Rosemary Black
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, February 23rd 2010, 2:39 PM

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.

Coates added that the prospective sport "has the wow factor."

While her petition now has about 4,000 signatures, she is hoping to add 1,000 more.

Advocates of pole dancing say other even more unlikely sports have gotten the approval of the International Olympic Committee. Tug of war was an early Olympic medal contest, and curling is now huge at the Winter Games.

Yet, well-established sports like cricket and squash haven’t managed to get a spot for themselves at the Olympics, and baseball and softball recently got the ax. The International Olympic Community would need to recognize pole dancing as a sport, which could prove to be an uphill battle.

But pole-dance enthusiasts are hopeful about their chances to go for the gold.

"It’s just a matter of time before pole dancing gets Olympic recognition," says Ania Przeplasko of Hong Kong, founder of the International Pole Dancing Fitness Association.

"There will be a day when the Olympics see pole dancing as a sport," she told The Associated Press. "The Olympic community needs to acknowledge the number of people doing pole fitness now. We’re shooting for 2012."

Some dancers aren’t so sure about pole dancing at the Olympics because they worry that the sensual aspect of the discipline would be destroyed, and that old-school pole dancers might be pushed aside by gymnasts, circus performers and Chinese acrobats who could easily pick up the moves.

"I don’t need to see pole dancing in the Olympics," U.S. Pole Dance Federation co-founder Wendy Traskos said. "I don’t think this is necessarily the path that we need to take, as a sport."

But Traskos notes that the notion of pole dancers competing for Olympic medals isn’t as farfetched as it was five years ago.

"Now, when you talk about it you don’t hear 'like a stripper' anymore," Traskos said. "You hear things like, 'Oh, my friend takes classes for fitness' or 'Yes, I've seen it on 'Oprah.' "

We were discussing this at work today; while they do have to be quite athletic to do this professionally, I doubt it makes it to the Olympics. But it sure would boost ratings I bet!

Wonder what forms this will take. Will they do it in leos, costumes, or...NUDE? LOL

Will there be male and female entries, or just female? And how to score (pun intended)? Will they be divided into age groups (favorite: MILF)?

There's a lot of room for someone with an imagination. It's a shame the Olympic Committee never shows any imagination.

Don't they at least need bare legs to grip the pole? Otherwise they would just slide right down

Qualified (female) competitors are welcome to practice on my pole while all this Olympic stuff gets sorted out....

Not trying to sound too kinky, but it sure would be cool to have an X-Rated Olympics where people could compete in all sorts of sexual or erotic type of events...

I think one day it will happen, the XXXXX games!

Just imagine the competition for a gold medal in something like deep throat or who can ejaculate the farthest, lol!

Look out, nude gymnastics just as it originated back in Ancient Greece!

Not too kinky for me. Looking forward to it.

Don't they at least need bare legs to grip the pole? Otherwise they would just slide right down Originally Posted by Nicole Preston

Perhaps if they wore latex...unlubricated, of course.

Not trying to sound too kinky, but it sure would be cool to have an X-Rated Olympics where people could compete in all sorts of sexual or erotic type of events... Originally Posted by guess

If I'm not mistaken, a few years ago $pread magazine held the Sex Worker's Olympics which included challenges where participants had to wear stilettos through obstacle courses while not spilling a martini, demonstrated using their mouths to put condoms on dildos and had fake orgasm contests.

So, your idea is a good one and I hope something similar is held again soon!

Good pole dancing is hard core. I give major props to those women.

Good pole dancing is hard core. I give major props to those women. Originally Posted by Eliza

I had a hotel room once that had a strippers pole in it. Was lucky enough to be with a gal who was verrrrrrrrrrry good and she and a second gal gave me lessons

I'm all for it! It is waaayyyy harder then it looks! I was never able to do the fancy stuff it requires a very very strong upper body. I envy those girls that can work that pole, though! And it is VERY sexy!

I had a hotel room once that had a strippers pole in it. Was lucky enough to be with a gal who was verrrrrrrrrrry good and she and a second gal gave me lessons Originally Posted by discreetgent

Now there is something none of us want to see.

Now there is something none of us want to see. Originally Posted by pjorourke

It would have been worth it to see the lesson beforehand

If you were left devastated a few years back to learn that women's softball was dropped from the 2012 Olympic games

A long time ago I coached Fastpitch at the competitive level and even got to meet Dot Richardson, the mighty Busto, and Lisa Fernandez (they even let me wear their gold medals!) so I could not agree with you more, Lynette!

I saw the interview they did during the late night Olympic coverage the other night and it appears this Pole Dancing thing is for real. They may have enough enough support and momentum to actually get an audience with the IOC.

Having gone to just one or two strip clubs in my life. . .err. . .cough. . .

. . .and having known a lady personally that was quite good at acrobatics on the pole, it really is not a joke. It is every bit as demanding as any of the sports I played or coached.

I don't know how you ladies feel, but I hope the IOC does not demand that there be gender equity if they make it a medal sport: