'20 DL schedule released [and event distribution]

[Conor Dary]

I agree that they are tough to read, but they're almost always worth reading.

For such a simple subject being tough to read is hardly a winning endorsement...or take what you write seriously....

[lonewolf]

I enjoy the blogs but wish she would just double space instead of five space.

[Atticus]

For such a simple subject being tough to read is hardly a winning endorsement...or take what you write seriously....

I agree. What's the point of writing something informative if it's so hard to read, both in format (the nonsensical spacing) and her prose style (makes USA Today look erudite).
I do appreciate her insights, as someone who's been-there-done-that, but she could collaborate with someone with some editing skills to get her message out more engagingly.
I mean this as 'constructive criticism', because I find this an important issue (for us tafnuts), and TB has something to say that I want out there.

[tandfman]

There's a possibility that her formatting is deliberate and not for aesthetic reasons. Reading her blogs, you're forced to slow down and think about every sentence. Now most of us don't want to read that way--we read an awful lot of stuff and we don't have the time or the inclination to pause over every thought. But when I do read her blogs, I find myself paying closer attention to some of the details than I might if she wrote in full paragraphs normally spaced. That may be what she wants.

That having been said, trust me Tianna. You're turning off more people than you're converting to your beliefs. What you are saying is powerful enough. The incremental power you may be adding by your manner of delivery is not worth the diminution in the number of people who are taking the trouble to read your messages.

[gh]

In response, Christian Taylor is starting "The Athletics Association - A unified voice for professional Track & Field Athletes"...[/url]

Unfortunately, "Athletics" wil gain zero traction in a crucial market: the U.S.

[lonewolf]

I appreciate her insight and don't have any problem with the content/prose/grammar . It is just the annoying spacing that makes it hard to read that bugs me.

[gh]

color this old going-blind fart who will take too much leading over too little any day of the week.

[gh]

Note as well that eliminating the discus throw means that there's no need for a cage on the infield, thus getting rid of something that can some block camera views. (There's no hammer in the DL either.) And getting rid of the steeple eliminates another bit of moving hurdles.

of course, anybody who has been at Hayward Field for the last decade plus knows this isn't as much of a problem as elsewhere becasue they use the brilliant cage designed by Lance Deal which can be collapsed as soon as the event is over in a matter of minutes

http://ontrackandfield.com/lance-deals-thunderdome/

[gh]

letter from Jon Ridgeon in response to the discus group:

<<Dear Global Throwing Group,

Thank you for your recent letter. As CEO of World Athletics (IAAF) I am replying on behalf of the organisation.

As you know, the Diamond League is an important showcase for our sport and it is our responsibility, working in collaboration with the individual Meetings that make up the league, to create the best possible series of one day Meetings that fans want to watch and broadcasters want to show. The very existence of the Diamond League depends on it, as the Meeting budgets (including athlete prize money) are only viable through the investment of broadcast and sponsorship revenues, alongside World Athletics’ contribution, which to date has been almost $50 million.

After ten years of existence, the market demanded that the Diamond League product now evolve, as evidenced by the fact that the league has not enjoyed the presence of a title sponsor for the last eight years. As a result, we have listened to our broadcasters and fans and made changes, some of which were announced this week. One of the changes requested by the majority of our contracted broadcasters is the reduction of our international broadcast window from 120 minutes to 90 minutes, in order to create a faster-paced and more entertaining product that can attract the widest possible live audience.

To make this happen, we had to make decisions in terms of reducing the number of disciplines held within the live broadcast window, alongside other changes such as concluding the league with one final rather than the current two and looking to establish a more logical spread of Meeting dates.

Of course these are difficult decisions and we realise they impact on individuals. This is why we conducted extensive research this summer to guide the selection of the disciplines that would be included for 2020. These decisions were taken collectively by the Meeting Directors and World Athletics, who make up the Diamond League General Assembly.

Knowing that some disciplines would not be included within the 90 minute international broadcast window and shortened final, World Athletics has invested time and considerable funds to create a new strong one day Meeting series - The World Athletics Continental Tour. The Continental Tour will offer those athletes affected by next year's changes to the the Diamond League, opportunities for high level competition, significant prize money, top flight world ranking points and visibility to fans, both live and through international broadcast. This is in addition to signature disciplines being held within the Diamond League, either in or outside of the international broadcast window.

Whilst change will always be challenging, the market has already responded positively, with a new title sponsor in Wanda Sports Group being recently secured. This new partnership represents the single biggest sponsorship deal that the sport of athletics has ever attracted and was only possible because of the message of evolution we sent to the market through our proposed changes.

The Wanda partnership has also enabled us at World Athletics to invest more significantly in the World Athletics Continental Tour, which will be a series of between 10 and 12 Meetings covering disciplines that will not be in the Diamond League, as well as some that are. The details of the 2020 Continental Tour will be shared with the World Athletics Council and the Athletes Forum in Monaco in a couple of weeks time.

Everything that is proposed by the Diamond League General Assembly and that we, at World Athletics, are including in the Continental Tour, will be fully reviewed at the end of 2020. Those disciplines not included in the Diamond League will be in the Continental Tour but may return to the Diamond League in 2021.

You and all the athletes have our absolute commitment on this and we would value further the Global Throwers input. I have already arranged to meet with Shaun Pickering next month, as a representative of your group, to take these discussions forward.

Finally, like you, we want athletes to be at the centre of decision-making, which is why we will have two athletes as full voting members of our Council from this November's Council meeting onwards.

Kind regards,

Jon>>

[Atticus]

letter from Jon Ridgeon in response to the discus group:
"Knowing that some disciplines would not be included within the 90 minute international broadcast window and shortened final, World Athletics has invested time and considerable funds to create a new strong one day Meeting series - The World Athletics Continental Tour. The Continental Tour will offer those athletes affected by next year's changes to the the Diamond League, opportunities for high level competition, significant prize money, top flight world ranking points and visibility to fans, both live and through international broadcast."

If this is face-value true, it softens the blow, but the loss from being in the DL itself, is still a problem. Since the field events can be easily held before the window, and summarized (in video highlights) during the significant down-time even in a 90-min window, shouldn't they try that for a year before letting them go to twist in the wind?