Early days but Super 8 has to be seen as a success

By George Scott

A HEAVY shower before the start of the inaugural Super 8 in Cardiff last night threatened to rain on UK Athletics' parade before its pilot event had even begun.

RAY OF SUNSHINE: As the rain clouds disappear from Cardiff, the sun smiles on Super 8

But, with perfect timing, the sky cleared in time for the new face of domestic athletics to show its worth.

The city versus city event has been billed as the saving grace of athletics - a sport that, other than at a handful of events each year, fails to draw in the crowds required for it to be a commercial success.

Athletics has been dying a slow death - but here is its savour.

And with nearly 2,500 packed into the Cardiff International Stadium, the event was a sell-out success.

Olympic bronze medallist Tasha Danvers - the most decorated athlete at the event after a number of withdrawals - ran in the 100m hurdles to open the track events before a packed grandstand.

From then on the action was relentless - a far cry from the delayed format that has so often hindered the success of athletics as a spectacle.  

UKA resisted the full-scale razzamatazz that accompanies Twenty20 cricket - there were not the dancing girls intersecting the events - but Super 8 ticks many of the boxes from the Twenty20 blueprint.

More could be done to punctuate the gaps between events - hurdles and starting blocks still have to be put in place - but UKA must strike a balance between broadening the appeal of athletics while doffing its cap to the traditionalists.

However, more important to the future success of the Super 8 format will be the quality of athletes it attracts.

As proven last night, records do not need to be broken for an event to be exciting - the action was unremitting, tense and of a high quality - but a string of high-profile names will force the event into the public eye.

UKA has put forward a healthy prize-fund to match many of the large European track and field meets but a sponsorship row with Nike forced the late withdrawal of Olympic bronze medal winning heptathlete Kelly Sotherton, long jumper Chris Tomlinson and 1500m runner Hannah England - threatening to de-rail the event before it had got under way.

But UKA is confident it can reach an agreement with Nike - a decision which is pivotal if Super 8 is to draw in the big names of British athletics.   

"There are more than 140 athletes competing in the inaugural Super8. Personal sponsorship obligations have led to three athletes having to withdraw from the competition," read an official statement.

"However, we believe we can find a workable solution with all interested parties for the future of Super8."

It is an argument that may well have overshadowed the progress made by UKA last night, but Danvers was also philosophical and believes an outcome can be reached to ensure there is a constant stream of talent.

"This is a pilot - these sorts of things are going to happen but it's good to see what the future is going to be like, what they need to change and what works well and they should keep," she said.

"It's just a minor glitch in the system and I'm sure by 2010 it'll all be ironed out."

And, indeed, it was a minor glitch in a night which signaled a fresh start for the sport. Something must be done to bring British athletics into the public eye and this may just be it.

Sportsbeat's Gerard Meagher presents the other side of the Super 8 coin.......