Should there be Team Scoring for Track and Field at the Olympics?

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I have been absolutely lost at what to do know without the Olympics in my life. I know I will go back and begin following the Diamond League meets and any other European meets until cross country season and fall marathons roll around. This year the Olympics brought plenty of emotions for US track and field fans including joy, utter disbelief and gut wrenching heart break.  Recently, I came across a bit of information that could have added more drama to the games.  Just take a look at what the team scores would have been if the meet had been scored like a typical track and field meet (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1):

WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES:

1. USA 158

2. Russia 155

3. Ethiopia 66

4. Jamaica 58

5. Germany 57

6. Kenya 54

7. China 46

8. Great Britain 34

9. Ukraine 31

T10. Czech Republic 22

T10. Turkey 22

Seeing the team score got me thinking what team scoring would add to the Olympic track and field competition?  This year there would have been an extra sense of drama. The women’s team competition would have come down to the 4x400 meters between Russia and the USA for the team title. It would have been exciting to watch the US blow away their cold war rivals.

Adding team scoring to the Olympic track and field competition would add value to every competitor’s performance. Take for example, runners in the 10k who have made it to the biggest stage but know there is a small shot for them to medal. They could at least get in the top eight and help their team. It could also make national teams like Canada actually send a full team instead of just sending those that they think will medal. National organizations could also put more emphasis on developing every event instead of focusing on just sprints, distance or field. What do you think, should team scoring be implemented at the Olympics? 

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• Olympics
• Track & Field
• Sports
• Summer Games

This post is related to the following ongoing stories:

• 2012 Olympic Games in London
• 2012 NCAA & Professional Track & Field

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