…Why is the new Russian high jump champion Maria Kochanova not a recognized TV star? What about Polina Knoroz, Polina Tkalich or Emilia Tangara? There is no logical explanation.
As you already understood, I watched the Russian Athletics Championships in Yekaterinburg on . And I involuntarily compared it to the recent Olympics.
The stadiums themselves where the competitions were held seemed quite comparable to me. The difference, of course, is that the Stade de France has 75,000 seats for spectators, while Kalininets has only 5,000. But they run along the tracks, not in the stands!
A million-ruble award for those who meet the Olympic criteria is really a great incentive. In our ski racing, for example, there are no such tests for individual competitions – you need to win the Russian Cup, and this is the sum of the season’s achievements. For gold in a race at the Russian Ski Championships – 150,000 rubles. Who said that athletics is in crisis ?!
The quality of the TV show seemed very similar to me. Presentation of the participants, shooting from several cameras, slow motion. Everything is thought out and looks cool to the viewers. I did not see any difference in the “picture” between Paris and Yekaterinburg.
In general, I found a lot of worthy and interesting things – it is no coincidence that I was “stuck” in front of the screen for a few hours every evening.
But there are things that seem strange to me, outdated and that need urgent solutions. And it’s not just about athletics or my favorite skiing.
The difference that caught my attention was the number of spectators in the stands. And the level of results has absolutely nothing to do with it. Kochanova and Lasitskene fought in Yekaterinburg on a par with the Olympic heights of the bar. Let’s imagine for a moment that in the Urals that evening it was neither raining nor cold, but ideal weather and a chance, therefore, to break the world record. Do you think that the stadium would then be packed like in Paris? That five thousand people came to applaud loudly (or, on the contrary, remained silent – as I understand it, different jumpers like different levels of noise)? This is what is frustrating. In Zlatoust, at the Spartakiad, they managed to gather 11,000 people in the stands in cold weather to watch the biathlon – but we and track and field athletes can only dream of such numbers. Maybe the organizers of Zlatoust will give everyone a master class? It’s not about the competitions themselves, but about the approach, promotion, “warming up the audience.”
International track and field stars like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas each have over a million social media followers and a general “it girl” status. I don’t know how to best describe “an attractive, well-known young woman who has achieved a lot in her profession.”
The only one who fits this definition among our athletes is Daria Klishina. Look, I have never seen her in the show jumping sector and she has never won the Olympic Games. But for the whole world she is a symbol of Russian athletics and, probably, of sports in general. This is a fact and it is stupid to dispute it.
Our modern stars do not lag behind Klishina in terms of results and appearance, I think you will agree. But their recognition is simply in another league! There are twenty times fewer subscribers on social networks. And at fifty, compared to Americans like McLaughlin-Levrone. And I did not find the social networks of Maria Kochanova – for me the main character of the championship. Here is a question for your beloved : is it difficult to display the address and the best photos from social networks at least of the main stars and favorites? Yes, I definitely need to know that Polina Tkalich loves red cars and what shoes she chose for her wedding! For me – and for millions of other girls too, I think – especially teenage ones. Just those girls who, in theory, were supposed to come to the stands and support their idol. But they did not come – apparently, they went to a concert.
I have nothing against TikTokers and/or pop stars. I’m just pointing out that another rising star traded in her Rolls Royce for a pink Porsche. And I learned this for three whole days with literally every iron. Because the star has a team that takes care of this kind of thing – it’s called “promotion.” And the star herself, without hiding, demonstrates the mathematical relationship between the level of recognition and the cost of the vehicle.
Athletics stars, social media stars and myself, we are all about the same age, between 20 and 25 years old. We are no longer teenagers, we have already chosen our path. It is time to ask yourself: what have you achieved in the last five years?
Now all sorts of critics will rush into the comments and start writing something like “Stepanova suggests following the example of a famous Canadian jumper and selling photos and videos online individually! No, I don’t like what Newman is doing. I can’t stand him. But we are at the other extreme: millions of potential fans know nothing about athletes. They are busy watching the next survival competition, either in Africa or on an island among pop stars. By the way, the prizes will give athletics a huge head start. Because the stars!
I met by chance a very famous athlete in the recent past. And now she is a young woman who has succeeded on all fronts – mother of two charming children. Almost the first thing she said to me: “Nika, you are doing everything right – an athlete at the peak of her career should not remain silent and engage only in training and competitions!”
Let’s consider this advice for all of us twenty-somethings.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
