Roller Hockey in the Olympics - why not?

[Fletch 219]

I was watching BMX yesterday and I was thinking that roller hockey deserves a place if they are going to let stuff like BMX and synchronized diving in. Has anyone heard if anything is in the works for 2012?

[team50 20]

I'm also missing lacrosse.

[shooter27 116]

While I generally agree with both of your ideas about roller hockey and lacrosse, neither sport has much support towards becoming an olympic sport. The official reason I've heard is that they do not have wide enough appeal and are not played in enough countries at a high level.

[Monty22 821]

While I generally agree with both of your ideas about roller hockey and lacrosse, neither sport has much support towards becoming an olympic sport. The official reason I've heard is that they do not have wide enough appeal and are not played in enough countries at a high level.

And synchronized diving does?

[pantherfan 0]

Get rid of Equestrian, I'm pretty damn sure the only reason it's survived is because the powers that be are the only ones interested in it.

[team50 20]

I think you're right. Be nice to see them as exhibition sports just to gauge the appeal.

[kovalchuk71 212]

They've taken votes on it a bunch of times. It just keeps losing. :(

[iceburg19 1]

I see alot of international hockey during The summer with AAU and FIRS.inlinehockey could fit in and i bet it would take off in the summer games in the olympics.

[Smitty34 0]

It would be awesome if roller hockey were in the olympics. Who knows, if it gains more popularity, it could happen.

[Rick 0]

I have always hoped that roller hockey would get in and I know several years ago it was a demonstration sport at the Olympics but for some reason it didn't make the grade I guess.

Rick Henry

[Clark12 0]

I believe its going to be a demonstration sport at the 2012 Olympics, heres hoping it makes the grade this time and becomes a permanent fixture

[li7039 0]

well table tennis is a Olympic sport so why can't roller hockey be one.

[Fletch 219]

Isn't badmitton an olympic sport?

[kovalchuk71 212]

Yes.

[DCott 0]

what's up with handball, rhythmic gymnastics (or any gymnastics), trampoline, and those already mentioned being there before inline hockey?

also, roller hockey was a demo sport at the 1992 games in Barcelona. However, this was not inline hockey, but "rink hockey", played on roller skates...

wikipedia

[shooter27 116]

While I generally agree with both of your ideas about roller hockey and lacrosse, neither sport has much support towards becoming an olympic sport. The official reason I've heard is that they do not have wide enough appeal and are not played in enough countries at a high level.

And synchronized diving does?

We tend to be continent-centric when we think about olympic sports. Diving has a huge following abroad, particularly in Asia, and synchronized diving falls as an event under the diving discipline, just like the 100m sprint and 1500m run are considered events under the track and field discipline. I'm not saying I agree with the decision, just trying to share what I have read / hear about the rationale for including / excluding sports.

Look at baseball and softball, both are significantly more popular than inline hockey or lax worldwide and they are both getting dumped from the olympics after this year.

[Smitty34 0]

what's up with handball, rhythmic gymnastics (or any gymnastics), trampoline, and those already mentioned being there before inline hockey?

also, roller hockey was a demo sport at the 1992 games in Barcelona. However, this was not inline hockey, but "rink hockey", played on roller skates...

My friend and I went to see a "rink hockey" game once. It was insane how quickly the players moved the ball.

[pody37 3]

I believe there is a group of sports that are 'waiting to become an olympic sport', of which roller hockey is one. I think they are taking a sport out for 2012 (i think softball but not sure) but they couldnt decide which of the sports from the group of selected sports would replace it, so they are having one sport less at 2012.

I cant wait for the day roller hockey is an olympic sport! I;m particularly disappointed tis not in 2012 as london is only a few hours from where i live!!

Again, this is what i have heard, if anyone knows different feel free to correct me.

[matt 0]

I was at the meeting of the CIRILH meeting, at the World Championships in Düsseldorf. The new president ( mr Gilbert Portier ) of the CIRILH was elected there. Our federation was not capable of voting because we were a first time participant at the world championships. To make things clear : the CIRILH, Comité International Roller InLine Hockey, is part of the FIRS.

During this meeting the Olympic status of rollersports was discussed as well. They said that certain rollersports do have a chance to become olympic. But that was only speed(inline)skating. I will quote what has being said there :

" Speedskating is the key to the Olympics.. But we want to go all ( meaning all disciplines in rollersports ) "

In this edition of the Olympic Games, softball and baseball will enjoy their last year of Olympic status. I am not sure which sport will replace them..

I think rollerhockey has almost no chance to become Olympic, because the IOC likes to see more individual sports instead of team sports.

However... there is this organisation "World Games" ( http://www.worldgames-iwga.org/ ) which is part of the IOC. They organise the Worldgames.. Some kind of Olympic Games for sports who may become Olympic. The world championships 2008 were also a qualification tournament for these worldgames. The first 5 teams of the World Championships are going to take part in the Worldgames.. Next year the worldgames are organised in Chinese Taipei.

It is true that rinkhockey was a demonstration sport at the olympics in Barcelona 1992. However.. the then president of the IOC, mr Juan Antonio Samaranch had played rollerhockey in his early years. I think he had a big influence in rinkhockey being a demonstration sport at the olympics. When you become 1st, 2nd, or 3rd at the olympics in a demonstration sport you won't get a medal, but some kind of certificate of participation in the olympics..

I also hope that rollerhockey is becoming Olympic one day.. however I think it won't happen in the near future.

[Sprungster 5]

When roller hockey has caught on in Central and South America, along with, and particularly, Asia, it will be in. Getting back into the Pan Am games is the best start. These countries do not have a gear/padding sport yet, and this is an important part of the virus. It is still a rough and tumble sport even when played with finesse, and there are audiences sitting around waiting for the games to start. And people who want to gear up and go fast and hit things.

Having a game available that does not carry the local-to-country-nationalistic-group-hysteria-and manly-honor-luggage that is associated with soccer would be helpful, too. The whole audience is frustrated to death by a good clean well played game, and feels it must make up for it. Like ice hockeyX10. ;)

[Chadd 916]

I think rollerhockey has almost no chance to become Olympic, because the IOC likes to see more individual sports instead of team sports.

That's because it's easier and cheaper for a country to produce one athlete than a team of athletes. I believe that the large number of conflicting groups that control the sport at the highest levels have also hindered the growth of inline hockey at the national and international levels. There is no concerted effort to grow the sport in any one particular direction and people are more concerned with protecting their turf than they are objectively growing the sport.

[mrusse01 0]

what's up with handball, rhythmic gymnastics (or any gymnastics), trampoline, and those already mentioned being there before inline hockey?

Pretty ridiculous to question gymnastics, it's probably the second biggest event at the games next to track and field in terms of popularity.

Roller hockey would be sweet...I say they put that in and get rid of one of the dumb sailing events. Do they really need 11 different sailing events? C'mon.

[nummer55 10]

Does Phelps need 8 different swimming events? Talk about dumb events.

[Hoffer 0]

I agree with chadd. I think one big problem is that in roller hockey there is not one governing body but a hand full of governing bodies trying to be number one. So until here is one clear governing body and roller hockey become more unified i don't think we will see roller hockey in the Olympics.

[Smitty34 0]

Roller hockey has been growing a lot in my neck of the woods. There has been a league of pro teams that was created and is continuing to add teams. Its a pretty cool thing.