Track and Field is one of those sports that is put on a pedestal when the Summer Olympic Games roll along every four years. The attention of millions of people is focused on whether or not elite runners like Jamaica's Usain Bolt or Kenya's David Rudisha can break their own world records on the world's biggest stage. Inspiring stories like that of double amputee Oscar Pistorius also come along and everyone starts to root for the feel good story. But where is that attention and passion for the sport in the three years between Olympics?
In order to make the Olympic Games, athletes have to hit a certain mark and compete against other elite athletes to prove they are worthy of a shot at medaling for their country. Some of the more interesting races and battles take place within those trials. At the 2012 Olympic Trials, a world record was set in the decathlon and an American record fell in the 10,000-meter race. But not too many people heard about these stories until those athletes went on to succeed in London.
I have decided to dedicate one of my final projects in my sports journalism class to uncovering where the attention to track and field goes in the three years between the Olympics. Factors that come into play are television coverage, athlete recognition, sponsorships, fan base locations, and other media attention.
I will be speaking to members of the media that cover track and field and professional athletes to get their take on the public's attention to the sport. Research can be done into the numbers of viewers that watched athletics on broadcasts of Olympic Games and how many people view telecasts of NCAA Championships that do end up on networks like ESPN.
I believe that my project and presentation will reveal a lot about a sport that many people overlook as being entertaining, mainly because of its lack of contact. Runners are deserving of making SportsCenter's Top 10 even when it may not be at the Olympics.
In order to make the Olympic Games, athletes have to hit a certain mark and compete against other elite athletes to prove they are worthy of a shot at medaling for their country. Some of the more interesting races and battles take place within those trials. At the 2012 Olympic Trials, a world record was set in the decathlon and an American record fell in the 10,000-meter race. But not too many people heard about these stories until those athletes went on to succeed in London.
I have decided to dedicate one of my final projects in my sports journalism class to uncovering where the attention to track and field goes in the three years between the Olympics. Factors that come into play are television coverage, athlete recognition, sponsorships, fan base locations, and other media attention.
I will be speaking to members of the media that cover track and field and professional athletes to get their take on the public's attention to the sport. Research can be done into the numbers of viewers that watched athletics on broadcasts of Olympic Games and how many people view telecasts of NCAA Championships that do end up on networks like ESPN.
I believe that my project and presentation will reveal a lot about a sport that many people overlook as being entertaining, mainly because of its lack of contact. Runners are deserving of making SportsCenter's Top 10 even when it may not be at the Olympics.