Just over twenty-four hours after the Sport, Gender and Media Conference tweeted and blogged our support for Paula Radcliffe at the Centre for Women’s Studies, University of York, did the IAAF announce that previous women’s records set in mixed gender races would still be recognised. This is amazing news and certainly cause for celebration.
However, the IAAF the IAAF also announced that the impending policy change would still occur: “new records will be officially recognised and ratified only if achieved in women-only races.”
We stand in support with Paula Radcliffe and all female athletes in future races, not just in past ones. Road races are often mixed gender affairs. This denies women the same opportunities as men to set records. The ruling also assumes that all men are better than all women because men are not seen as gaining an unfair advantage from running with women. It's time to challenge this ideology being written into the rule book.
As the IAAF continues to work on wording for its rule change, we hope they ensure that women's successes in mixed-gender and all-female races are recognized appropriately.
We support all women in sport. In the past, present and future.
No comments:
Post a Comment