Spinning Gold

Fearless prediction: The 2012 Summer Olympics will be the highest-rated and attended games in history. What makes me so confident in that prognostication? There is a push being made by advocates of the “sport” to add pole dancing to the lineup of sanctioned Olympic events.

Suddenly, the words “Olympics” and “anticipated” are allowed to be in the same sentence.

Hong Kong-based Ania Przeplasko, the founder of the International Pole Dancing Fitness Association, the sport's fledgling supervisory body, believes Olympic recognition is only a matter of time and would be a victory for underappreciated sports worldwide.

"There will be a day when the Olympics see pole dancing as a sport," she said. "The Olympic community needs to acknowledge the number of people doing pole fitness now. We're shooting for 2012."

Because we are only two years away from the London games, the idea would be to make pole dancing a “test event” in 2012. A more formal pitch to have an official pole dancing event added to the 2016 Olympics would then be made.

Just think: that dollar you slide into a garter tonight might help the young lady achieve her dreams of Olympic gold (of course, it might also help her score an eight ball off her girlfriend’s dealer, but let’s keep an optimistic mindset here). In the near future, “making it rain” could be seen as a legitimate philanthropic act. I may have to make arrangements to be in London two and half years from now, to support the future of a “sport” that has been near and dear to my heart for as long as I can remember. I wonder if the USOC is going to be accepting applications for talent scouts?

So remember, you read it here first: the 2012 summer games will see a noticeable bulge in viewership, not to mention a large swelling of attendance. It will stand as the most popular Olympics ever—that is, until 2016. Why’s that, you ask? That year, first Olympic games to feature an official pole dancing event, will be held in Rio de Janeiro.

Is it too early to book my plane tickets?