Pole dancing is no easy feat because twisting your body into inversions, artful arcs, and gymnast-inspired poses take athleticism on the ground. Now, with pole dancing, you even have to do it in mid-air while trying to remain suspended on the side of a smooth pole.
Pole dancing is part dance, part gymnastics, and all strength. Even Jennifer Lopez had a tough time to master it for her Hustlers role.
Apparently, the fitness community is trying to push for pole dancing to be seen as an official sport and it has been heard. The Global Association of International Sports Federation (GAISF) has granted the International Pole Sports Federation official “observer status,” which recognizes and legitimizes it as a sport.
Eventually, we might see it as an Olympic sport one day.
The GAISF is an umbrella organization that houses all Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations, so there is actually a valid possibility that we could see pole-dancing in the Olympics someday.
“Pole Sports requires great physical and mental exertion; strength and endurance are required to lift, hold, and spin the body,” says the GAISF in a statement. “A high degree of flexibility is needed to contort, pose, demonstrate lines, and execute techniques.”
The president of the International Pole Sports Federation (IPSF), Katie Coates, posted the delightful news on her Instagram account yesterday.
“Getting pole recognized has been something I’ve been working on daily for the last 12 years,” it reads. “People said it would never happen but as always I never listened…the @ipsfpolesports are closer still! Thanks to everyone that supports us, without you we wouldn’t be where we are today!”
In a news release, the IPSF says that to move beyond “observer status” they need to be able to show the world that pole-dancing is a sport. “We need your help In order for Pole to grow we need to showcase our sport and its athletes to the greater sporting community and the International media in China in 2020,” the release states. “Think how Surfing, Skateboarding and Sport Climbing did it. All of them funky, exciting and alternative, all of them attractive to those wishing to reignite their passion for a healthy lifestyle.”
What do you think of pole dancing as an Olympic sport?
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