IAAF schedule for Doha’s 2019 Worlds admits track & field is boring

TSX HEADLINES – for May 11, 2018: The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced the schedule for its 2019 World Championships in Doha (QAT) this week.

Because of the heat, there will be no morning sessions, no rest day and sessions which run to midnight and beyond. In fact, the marathons will start at midnight, as well the heptathlon and decathlon, and the 50 km walks will finish after 3 a.m.!

Moreover, the IAAF noted that there will be a one-hour break between the action in the late afternoon and evening sessions for “entertainment and family-centered activities.”

In other words, the track & field action needs some other entertainment to keep the spectators riveted because … it’s boring. That’s not how they do it at Coachella!

Unbelievable? Get all the details are in our Lane One commentary, plus a look ahead to major events coming up this weekend:

(1) THE TICKER: The U.S. Olympic Committee is hardly impressed with the class-action suit filed against it and USA Taekwondo over sexual abuse and “sex trafficking” and said so, loud and clear. Plus new developments with the bidding process for the 2026 Winter Games, as the IOC tries to help with Swiss politics!

(2) THE BIG PICTURE: Gold medal-winning American gymnast Aly Raisman is also hardly impressed, but with USA Gymnastics’ response to the wide-ranging sexual abuse scandal, and she has some ideas about what needs to be done right away!

(3) ATHLETICS: Sensational fields in Saturday’s Diamond League meet in Shanghai, with Justin Gatlin facing Chinese sprint star Bingtian Su in the final event of the program. We have a full preview of the events to watch.

(4) CYCLING: The only U.S. race on the UCI World Tour – the Amgen Tour of California – starts this weekend in Long Beach and will wind through the state until finishing in Sacramento. Check out our preview of the favorites!

(5) WEIGHTLIFTING: The Pan American Championships start in Santo Domingo, with qualifying for the Pan American Games at stake. Twelve defending champions – including World Champion Sarah Robles of the U.S. – will be back to defend their 2017 championships.

This issue includes ON DECK previews of Athletics ~ Cycling ~ Sport Climbing ~ Triathlon ~ Weightlifting; SCOREBOARD reports on Cycling ~ Shooting, plus AGENDA, our exclusive calendar of upcoming international events!