Sigi's tips | In a sprint to questionable success

Should it go faster and faster? Not quite true. It should stay quick but you shouldn't invest so much time in it. It sounds complicated, but it has a simple background: the viewers on television screens in particular no longer have the patience to wait for hours before they finally get a result. Of course, the entertainment character must not be lost. It has to remain exciting in every competition. The volleyball players, for example, recognized this relatively early on. Many, many years ago, points could only be scored by the team that had the serve, i.e. put the ball into play. As a result, there was sometimes a tie for half an eternity and sometimes boredom set in because neither team could claim a decisive advantage. This was unacceptable for a television broadcast because there was not even a hint of planning. This is old hat for a long time. With new rules and even the introduction of a libero, the volleyball players have managed to give their game new impetus without losing its attractiveness. On the contrary: a point can be won with every rally. Now it's almost sprint volleyball and has long been very popular, because sprint is the magic word everywhere. Sprinting Formula 1 cars In motorsport, Formula 2, the foundation of Formula 1, has long been offering sprint races behind closed doors. Now this has also arrived in Formula 1, and as always with changes, the pros and cons are being hotly debated by drivers and racing team owners. In Baku, for the first time, a street circuit was the venue for a so-called sprint race over 100 km with a programmed race time of around half an hour. In a nutshell, Sergio Perez (Red Bull) won the race, and a day later he also won the normal event, which of course has nothing to do with it. At least a few points go to the sprint winner's account and the construction ranking also benefits from successes over what is essentially a ridiculously short distance. To underline the unique selling point, the outcome of the sprint has nothing to do with the starting grid for the Grand Prix. This will be carried out in qualifying on Friday. This sprint has not yet reached the fans. It is still difficult to supplement traditional and therefore familiar processes with innovations. However, since there are already six such Formula 1 sprints taking place this season, it can be expected that in the future there will be heated discussions about the sprint result on the Saturday before the big race. Perhaps, such a small forecast, this is always a small indication of who can cope well with the respective route. See Perez in Baku. The classics fight back The current hopefully only small cold front makes me come back to winter in this context, because sprinting has long since become established there in some sports, even if I'm not really enthusiastic about all the formats. However, this is of course an individual fate. The city sprints in cross-country skiing are certainly tempting, but they contradict the basic idea of this sport, the core of which is to cover a longer distance either in the classic style or in skating. The perseverance of the protagonists is one of the basic prerequisites for success. But more and more people no longer want to expect this endurance from the fans, especially in front of the TV sets. Faster and shorter should enchant and electrify, but at the same time keep the time required for it within limits. The spectacle in the circus sense comes to the fore. The aim is to generate as much variety as possible in a short time. The biathletes have already reacted. The sprint is the most frequently held form of competition. The classic individual competition with a distance of 20 kilometers for men and 15 kilometers for women fights for its legitimacy every year. A so-called “super sprint” has long been tried out. But not all new formats are convincing. The Alpines have long thought that short runs were a panacea to lure fans. But the classics have not been driven away. And that's good. It's like in all areas of life: everything doesn't have to be turned upside down just because a little more time needs to be invested. Being open to the new and preserving the old: That should be the common thread, even if some football clubs might sometimes wish that the playing time was shortened. Especially when, like recently in Naples, the equalizing goal for UD Salernitana is scored by Boulaye Dia in the 84th minute and the early championship celebrations have to be postponed at the same time. A little patience and a bit of perseverance are still required here, although now it's probably only a short sprint until the exuberant cheers. About the author: Sigi Heinrich The multi-award-winning sports journalist and TV commentator (including the German Television Prize, the Bavarian Sports Prize, the Biathlon Award and the World Sports Trophy) dedicates his column “Sigi's Peaks” to the entire diversity of sports and also enjoys poaching in foreign regions . Sometimes with a smile and a wink, but just as often it can be dead serious or deliberately provocative. There should be something for everyone.

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Sigi's tips | In a sprint to questionable success

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