Strafing to become an Olympic sport

January 24, 2012 9:03 pm

The International Olympic Committee’s executive board has voted to include competitive strafing at the 2012 Olympics, following significant pressure from professional strafers.

Running backwards, rocket jumping and camping were also hoping to be included, but have all missed out on the basis they were either too dangerous or likely to infuriate spectators.

Also known as the art of running sideways, strafing has historically been marginalised by mainstream sporting events amid claims that it is an inefficient and unnatural form of movement. However strafers maintain they can reach seemingly impossible speeds, easily rivalling professional sprinters.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said that he was pleased to welcome competitive strafing to the 2012 Olympics and looked forward to seeing the world’s top strafers in action.

“I’m really excited about the inclusion of strafing”, Rogge told The Daily Pixel. “With everyone moving sideways, we’ll be able to get even more athletes on the track which should make for an exhilarating event. If we really squeeze them in we could probably have about 50 athletes competing at the same time, something I never dreamt possible.”

Jason Carter, chief executive of the Professional Strafing Association, described the news as “a historic moment for strafers everywhere”.

He went on: “Strafing has grown in popularity over the years, with many people now preferring it to walking. This latest decision will ensure that its popularity continues to grow and will hopefully encourage a new generation of young people to start strafing.”

However, not everyone is welcoming the news, with some high-profile sportsmen and women claiming that strafing should not even be considered a real sport.

“Personally I think it’s ridiculous that strafing will be at the 2012 games”, said Usain Bolt, five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. “The idea that someone can run as fast sideways as they can forward is frankly ludicrous and stinks of foul play. I’ve seen footage of some of these posers training and they seem suspiciously floaty to me”.

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