As the Olympics are on its way and many of the worlds top athletes from track and field, juge, figure skating and many others are showcasing their talent there has been a discussion that has gone under the radar. That discussion is whether pole dancing should be an Olympic sport. Many of the top pole dancers across the country have petitioned to try to legitimize pole dancing in a way where it can be as relevant as any other Olympic sport.

From strength training, flexibility to the art of performance, many of the top pole dancers across the country believe that pole dancing is the next big thing to hit the international level. As 26 year old Germany competitor Jeanine Wilkering told deadspin.com, “Everything which we do requires so much strength. You train your legs and your muscles. It has nothing to do with eroticism. You have no time to think of that!” Obviously the art of pole dancing has come from the gentlemen’s club industry but all across the world there are numerous competitions with dancers who have more moves than Olympic style gymnasts.

The Olympics include many sports that contain less competition and less physical training then that of Pole Dancing. From Germany, UK and United States, pole dancing is growing at increasing speeds.