Pole dancing and its governing body has been provisionally recognised as a sport after being given “observer status” by the Global Association of International Sports Federation (GAISF).
The move follows an 11-year campaign by the International Pole Sports Federation (IPSF) - founded by British competitor Katie Coates - which promotes pole dancing as a sport and ultimately wants to see it featured as an Olympic event.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Coates said: “I feel like we have achieved the impossible, everyone told us that we would not be able to get pole dancing recognised as a sport.
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“In the early 2000s people started doing it as fitness and taking away the sex stigma, so no high heels, and making it accessible for average people.
“Pole dancing is not like everyone thinks it is, you need to actually watch it to understand. Competitions started but they were very amateur, with friends of friends doing the judging. My goal initially was to make it more professional.”
We take a look at the sport and its Olympic ambitions.
What is pole dancing?
Forget the tales of erotica and sleazy nightclubs, pole dancing is now a sport in its own right, and its “athleticism and technical merit” is on a par with Olympics sports such as gymnastics, diving and ice skating, says the IPSF. More than 3,000 athletes worldwide compete in pole sport, the flagship discipline.
What is the IPSF?
According to its website, the IPSF is a not-for-profit organisation “dedicated to positively promoting pole as an athletic sport”. Founded in 2009, it is run by members and supports individuals and national federations to “unify the pole sports industry”.
The IPSF is also the organiser of the World Pole Sports Championships, launched in 2012 and held each July in London. Its last edition saw 150 competitors from 30 countries take part.
Since its inception, the IPSF has grown to include 25 national federations and will welcome the US and China next year.
How can pole dancing become an Olympic sport?
By getting “observer status” from GAISF, pole dancing has taken its first step to achieving its champions’s dream of becoming an Olympic sport. According BBC says, There are three further criteria for a sport to be considered for the Games.
- It must be part of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada): in 2015, the IPSF became an official WADA signatory.
- It must be a full member of the GAISF: that’s the next aim for the IPSF.
- And it must have 50 national federations: the IPSF has 25.
