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It's really happening, maybe. Pole-dance evangelists may truly see their craft rise from faux-powering fitness class to the actual fucking Olympics.How and why? Why, we will never know. How is easier: the activity has been awarded "Observer Status" by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), alongside several other sports federations such as Table Soccer and World Arm Wrestling. Which, OK, suddenly pole dancing seems slightly less leftfield.The GAISF defines Observer Status as allowing "new, young International Federations to take advantage of the GAISF network to grow and develop … The Observer status has been designed as a first step in a clear pathway towards full GAISF membership."Patrick Baumann, President of GAISF, is very excited and puts it a bit more clearly: "We will do everything within our remit to help them … one day, maybe become part of the Olympic program."
An application was first made to the International Olympic Committee to recognise pole as a sport in September 2016, driven in part by the International Pole Sport Federation. Several other competitions already exist, including the World Pole Sport Championship, U.S. Pole Federation Championship, and "Pole Art."But campaigning to get a sport into the Olympics can be a long and very expensive process, so we'll see. Maybe Pole Dance, Arm Wrestle, and Table Soccer could join forces to create the hybrid, unisex hens 'n' bucks sport of all our dreams, financing their ascent to seriousness that way? You heard it here first.