This weekend will see the first rendition of the \u201cContinental Cup\u201d, which is simply a reworked version of the \u201cWorld Cup\u201d. At the time of it\u2019s inception in 1977, the World Cup was a welcome sight on the track and field scene. After all, we only had one real championship of any kind on a global level \u2013 that being the quadrennial Olympic Games. And with only one championships every four years, the track and field community was starving for something that could be called a \u201cChampionship\u201d. So the World Cup was the first institution to fill that void. <\/p>\n
At the time the concept\/format made sense. There were basically two super powers in the sport \u2013 the United States, the Soviet Union \u2013 with East Germany and West Germany dominating everyone else. So taking these as individual teams and combining the rest of the world into continental units made for a fairly well balanced competition. And with the Cold War still at it\u2019s peak, the tensions between \u201cEast and West\u201d were brought to sport \u2013 which meant that anything that had the word \u201cChampionship\u201d attached to it was taken very seriously! As a result the first set of meets were well attended by all of the world\u2019s top athletes and hotly contested.<\/p>\n
But then the sport added another \u201cOlympics\u201d type competition \u2013 the World Championships. Because it followed a true championships format with more competitors, rounds, etc, the World Championships immediately became \u201cTHE\u201d track and field championships not called the Olympic Games \u2013 relegating the World Cup to the meet in between. But as the World Championships grew in stature, and another was added every other year \u2013 creating the current three championships cycle every four years \u2013 the World Cup has almost become an afterthought. By the end of the \u201890s most of the world\u2019s elite athlete\u2019s began to skip the meet altogether or in some cases just run on relay squads.<\/p>\n
That has lead to the retooled meet that will take place this weekend \u2013 a grouping of four continental squads that will be a combination of primarily second tier athletes mixed with a handful of top shelf athletes. With the meet having to adjust in this fashion, it tells me that the concept has run its course and what the sport really needs is to fill that \u201coff season\u201d with another World Championships so that the sport has yearly champions like every other major sport. Especially when I see that the sport will be spending $3 million in prize money on this meet \u2013 money that would be better spent on a real championships that would gain the sport more exposure and notoriety.<\/p>\n
At this point in it\u2019s development, what the sport needs is as much exposure as it can get. And right now that\u2019s not happening in the \u201coff seasons\u201d. While I appreciate the attempt made by the Diamond League to do that, it just didn\u2019t come through on several levels (I\u2019ll be discussing my evaluation of the Diamond League next week). This sport can ill afford to throw away an entire season every four years. We need the excitement that a Championship meets brings to the table \u2013 because it\u2019s the one and only thing that seems to be able to get all of our top athletes to the track!<\/p>\n
The Continental Cup will take place this weekend, and I will be following every event. But for all but us true die hard fans of the sport the competition will be meaningless as the first weekend of College Football will take center stage. Without any champions being crowned, the most that we can hope for is the always iffy setting of a World Record to show for the $3 million plus that will be spent on this weekend\u2019s competition. Not a very strong return on the dollar \u2013 and definitely not on the Euro. So rather than restructuring this meet we should be looking at adding that third World\u2019s in the four year cycle. As well at looking at how we can make some changes to make that meet better. Because that\u2019s really what the sport needs if we want more visibility and recognition within the sporting community. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This weekend will see the first rendition of the \u201cContinental Cup\u201d, which is simply a reworked version of the \u201cWorld Cup\u201d. At the time of it\u2019s inception in 1977, the World Cup was a welcome sight on the track and field scene. After all, we only had one real championship of any kind on a global level \u2013 that being the quadrennial Olympic Games. And with only one championships every four years, the track and field community was starving for something that could be called a \u201cChampionship\u201d. So the World Cup was the first institution to fill that void. At the time the concept\/format made sense. There were basically two super powers in the sport \u2013 the United States, the Soviet Union \u2013 with East Germany and West Germany dominating everyone else. So taking these as individual teams and combining the rest of the world into continental units made for a fairly well balanced competition. And with the Cold War still at it\u2019s peak, the tensions between \u201cEast and West\u201d were brought to sport \u2013 which meant that anything that had the word \u201cChampionship\u201d attached to it was taken very seriously! As a result the first set of meets were well attended by all of the world\u2019s top athletes and hotly contested. But then the sport added another \u201cOlympics\u201d type competition \u2013 the World Championships. Because it followed a true championships format with more competitors, rounds, etc, the World Championships immediately became \u201cTHE\u201d track and field championships not called the Olympic Games \u2013 relegating the World Cup to the meet in between. But as the World Championships grew in stature, and another was added every other year \u2013 creating the current three championships cycle every four years \u2013 the World Cup has almost become an afterthought. By the end of the \u201890s most of the world\u2019s elite athlete\u2019s began to skip the meet altogether or in some cases just run on relay squads. That has lead to the retooled meet that will take place this weekend \u2013 a grouping of four continental squads that will be a combination of primarily second tier athletes mixed with a handful of top shelf athletes. With the meet having to adjust in this fashion, it tells me that the concept has run its course and what the sport really needs is to fill that \u201coff season\u201d with another World Championships so that the sport has yearly champions like every other major sport. Especially when I see that the sport will be spending $3 million in prize money on this meet \u2013 money that would be better spent on a real championships that would gain the sport more exposure and notoriety. At this point in it\u2019s development, what the sport needs is as much exposure as it can get. And right now that\u2019s not happening in the \u201coff seasons\u201d. While I appreciate the attempt made by the Diamond League to do that, it just didn\u2019t come through on several levels (I\u2019ll be discussing my evaluation of the Diamond League next week). This sport can ill afford to throw away an entire season every four years. We need the excitement that a Championship meets brings to the table \u2013 because it\u2019s the one and only thing that seems to be able to get all of our top athletes to the track! The Continental Cup will take place this weekend, and I will be following every event. But for all but us true die hard fans of the sport the competition will be meaningless as the first weekend of College Football will take center stage. Without any champions being crowned, the most that we can hope for is the always iffy setting of a World Record to show for the $3 million plus that will be spent on this weekend\u2019s competition. Not a very strong return on the dollar \u2013 and definitely not on the Euro. So rather than restructuring this meet we should be looking at adding that third World\u2019s in the four year cycle. As well at looking at how we can make some changes to make that meet better. Because that\u2019s really what the sport needs if we want more visibility and recognition within the sporting community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa3DCY-6l","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":394,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=394","url_meta":{"origin":393,"position":0},"title":"Continental Cup Review","author":"CHill","date":"September 7, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"After watching the Continental Cup this weekend, I am more convinced than ever that it\u2019s time to move on with something else. Watching the meet the stands were very sparsely populated, and the sport had to have lost money on the event if attendance is any indication. Probably because it\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Croatia's Blanka Vlasic competes in the women's high jump at the IAAF Continental Cup 2010 in Split September 5, 2010. REUTERS\/Matko Biljak (CROATIA - Tags: SPORT ATHLETICS)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/view2.picapp.com\/pictures.photo\/image\/9654609\/croatia-blanka-vlasic\/croatia-blanka-vlasic.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":401,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=401","url_meta":{"origin":393,"position":1},"title":"Why Are The Commonwealth Games, and Other \u201cGames\u201d Being Held?","author":"CHill","date":"September 23, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"All year long there have been questions raised about the staging of the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Everything from questions regarding whether or not the facilities would be ready in time, to complaints this week from England, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Australia and Canada over the condition of the team accommodations\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=401#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"NEW DELHI, INDIA - SEPTEMBER 22: An Indian labourers work outside of the main stadium for the approaching 19th Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on September 22, 2010 in New Delhi, India. Pieces of a false roof inside of the weightlifting complex collapsed today following yesterday's collapse of a footbridge under construction that injured 27 workers at the main stadium for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak\/Getty Images)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/view1.picapp.com\/pictures.photo\/image\/9831349\/incident-weightlifting\/incident-weightlifting.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3093,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=3093","url_meta":{"origin":393,"position":2},"title":"Ultimate Championship, or Ultimate Invitational?","author":"CHill","date":"August 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"As we get closer to the end of the track season, everyone is talking about the \u201cUltimate Championship.\u201d I\u2019d commented on X that it isn\u2019t really a championship simply because it has the word \u201cchampionship\u201d in the name. The response I got was: if World Athletics calls it a championship,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_0512-300x164.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":533,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=533","url_meta":{"origin":393,"position":3},"title":"Why Soccer, But Not Track?","author":"CHill","date":"July 18, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"That\u2019s the question I was asking myself this weekend as the final game of the FIFA Women\u2019s World Cup came to an end. With Team USA a contender from the opening of the tournament, America was watching. ESPN showed our matches, and Americans across the country watched. And as Team\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=533#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"image","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lh3.ggpht.com\/-eoE6M92ygtQ\/TiRhlgmkVUI\/AAAAAAAAAR4\/mMvk6KiUwTg\/image_thumb.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":212,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=212","url_meta":{"origin":393,"position":4},"title":"Time for the US to Step Up and Host a World Championships","author":"CHill","date":"August 3, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"With two weeks until Worlds and no other meets to look forward to, my mind is now fixated on the World Championships and Berlin. The World Championships have been a staple in Europe since its' inception in 1983. So far eleven renditions of the meet have been held and all\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2685,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=2685","url_meta":{"origin":393,"position":5},"title":"What’s Next?","author":"CHill","date":"July 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a different kind of season with the World Championships being held in the middle of July. Usually the championship meet is at the end of the season. September, maybe late August in an early year. Leaving a lot of track season out there left to be run. So,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Commonwealth Games\"","block_context":{"text":"Commonwealth Games","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=commonwealth-games"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/6B8E235B-830F-4861-93D3-7B66B5A82440-150x150.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}