With the introduction of Breaking in the 2024 Olympic Games gaining plenty of headlines, many other sports are wondering if they can work their way into inclusion as well. At the 2028 Olympics, there will be cricket, lacrosse, baseball, and softball re-introduced, while flag football and squash will make their debut.
There has also been a long debate over where pole dancing could evolve into a fully-fledged, sustainable competitive sport, possibly seen at the Olympic level. With the increasing popularity of the activity, what is the competitive future of pole like?
Today you will not find odds on pole dancing at legal betting sites. And it’s not about which betting platform you choose or what payment system you use – browse Paypal betting sites UK for instance. You will find that many artistic sports around like synchronised swimming, figure skating and artistic gymnastics have become so mainstream that bookmakers commonly price up markets for the outcomes of major competitions. They all had to work their way up the ladder to reach events like the Olympics. Can pole dancing follow suit?
Breaking Through
Competitive pole dancing already exists, with some great strides forw16.08.2024ard having already happened in the competitive arena. The International Pole Sports Federation runs and fosters the development of pole and aerial worldwide.
They are the force behind improving, supervising and pushing the sport forward. Another major part of their work is driving towards acceptance from major sports governing bodies like The Olympic Committee. So the future of pole dancing is being considered.
A very serious push for recognition is happening and the IPSF has been making all the right moves, aligning with the likes of SportAccord (formerly GAISF) and getting approved by the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), shortly after they created an anti-doping programme.
Is It Taken Seriously Enough?
However, there is some stigma with pole dancing and what people typically think it is. Many see history as being something that holds back the progress of the sport, but desexualized pole dancing is a big fitness movement.
Back in 2017, the IPSF even managed to achieve “observer status” by The Olympic Committee, a now unused provisional category for sports looking to get into the Games. But there are challenges ahead, and more national federations on board would help greatly for recognition.
It’s typically very hard for many sports to break through to the Olympics, as can be seen in the case of squash, whose governing body had been fighting for years for inclusion. Even still, getting taken seriously often isn’t enough.
Bureaucracy and red tape can hold things back. That can hamper the very push for progress of competition because most people are happier practising their art and focusing on an income than ploughing through unpaid hours of trying to meet mountainous, difficult regulations that feel out of reach.
The 2012 World Champions
The first World Championships for pole dancing were held in 2012, three years after the IPSF was formed, so that happened quickly. It was also a good indicator that the sport draws a lot of interest from men, women and children.
The sport has developed since from simply being a pole dancing event. Variations including ultra pole, artistic pole, para pole and aerial pole have come onto the scene. This has been an important expansion, as the newer disciplines have helped to drive further interest and innovative competition. It has been a great way to introduce pole dancing to a wider audience.
Positives Ahead
The established World Championships attract highly skilled athletes from countries like Ukraine, Japan, Brazil, USA and Mexico and it shows that pole dancing has a big competitive future.
The more the World Championships are promoted, the stronger the sport should get, and better coverage through the media and sponsorship can help drive competition and the prize money would reward athletes for their dedication of hard work and time.
However, it is at the national and local levels that things need to expand in terms of competitiveness. Pole dancing needs to spread its wings, pushed by new federations to create a long-term, structured series of regular, recognisable events.
The more work that’s done at the grassroots to further boost the already increasing influx of interest from children taking up the sport would be amazing. The fact that young people are drawn to the sport, with its health and fitness benefits, reflects a new, fresh and positive image of pole dancing.
Pole started from the ground up, with IPSF cofounder Katie Coates putting in tireless work to try and get that elusive Olympic status for a sport. Looking at sports that have already been included in major championships, there are further new competitive heights that pole dancing can yet reach.
