CBC1 Show On Gender In Sport

[Brian Lafferty]

Interesting program on this morning. One issues raised as to some sports is that women can compete with men and even beat them in some disciplines. Ski jumping and shooting were specifically discussed. One of the things mentioned was that some sports federations have slightly different rules for mens and womens events so as to make direct comparison more difficult. I'd like to see some events open to men and women combined. I'd start with prone 50 meter rifle and 10 meter air pistol.

[SPPcoach]

some sports . . . women can compete with men and even beat them in some disciplines. Ski jumping and shooting were specifically discussed.

Yes women can certainly compete in shooting sports. The last time the shooting sports were integrated in the Olympic games was 1992 in Barcelona Spain. The overall champion in Skeet was a woman from China.
The irony of your TV show including ski jumping is not lost on me. The last Winter Games in Sochi were the first to allow women to compete in the long jump. Prior to that, women were excluded in the long jump when it was held in Canada because the IOC was on record as having said that the long jump event was not compatable with women's reproductive organs and could damage them. Yeah, they really said that.

One of the things mentioned was that some sports federations have slightly different rules for mens and womens events so as to make direct comparison more difficult.

Yes. This is deliberate by the IOC due to pressure from participating countries. Some cultures that compete can not tolerate, and do not embrace the idea that a woman can be as good or beat a man. After the 1992 games these same countries threatened to boycott future games if the genders were not kept separate and competed using a different scoring system so that women's scores could not compare directly with men's scores. The idea of gender equality is not embraced across the world. The IOC made the decision that it is better to segregate the genders than to loose entire countries from participating.
The IOC told Saudia Arabia that no male athletes would be accepted in the XXXI Olympiad if they did not submit female athletes to the games. As a result this is the first year Saudia Arabia has female athletes in the games.

I'd like to see some events open to men and women combined.

I would as well, but don't hold your breath. The trend is in the opposite direction. To the best of my knowledge, the only remaining Olympic sport that is open to both genders is equestrian.

[dschaller]

"I would as well, but don't hold your breath. The trend is in the opposite direction. To the best of my knowledge, the only remaining Olympic sport that is open to both genders is equestrian."

So do the male horses or female horses do better than the other?