Comments on: Female Olympians Are Wimps!

By: pedimd

pedimd — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:56:22 +0000

@PhDork: I know nothing about luging. I was just quoting from the luge association’s gender-neutral pamphlet on “what makes a successful luge athlete.” Among other things, they say that good upper body strength and power is critical to controlling the luge, especially during the curves. The limb-length thing has something to do with using the arms as levers. I maintain it’s fair to assume that the average male luger has more upper body strength than the average female luger, but I don’t know if that’s a fair way to determine course start points.

Every time I watch the Olympics (winter or summer) I get annoyed by the constant messages about gender. Don’t even get me started on men’s figure skating. It’s just that with the luge, there is a safety issue to consider, and I don’t understand enough about the sport to determine whether the lower start point for women is important or just sexist bullshit.

By: vegkitty

vegkitty — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:00:17 +0000

Honestly, I’d love to see some sports become co-ed, or at least have a co-ed event. I’m a fencer, and I’ve fenced against men before. In these kinds of mental sports, things like height and muscle don’t really matter.

By: RocktheDebit

RocktheDebit — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:29:39 +0000

One of my roommates has a theory that the real reason why the Olympics still doesn’t have women’s ski jump is that women, generally being lighter, smaller, and with a lower center of gravity then men, would be better at the event then men.

By: Pilgrim Soul

Pilgrim Soul — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:00:13 +0000

That last line is amazing, bluebears.

By: bluebears

bluebears — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:11:06 +0000

Dork: I watched a PBS (i think?) special many years ago about women in sports throughout the modern era and they focused a lot on the Olympics treatment of women but a line from that program has always stuck with me.

They were discussing how after decades of struggle women FINALLY got the womens marathon included in the games and that the last women to cross the line did so dehydrated and practically crawling, similar to a public display that years earlier (1940s I think) caused the Olympics to pull most women distance events for years, and no one got all panicked about it, the line went:

“Finally, women were allowed to appear physically exhausted in public.”

By: PhDork

PhDork — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:54:05 +0000

baraqiel: I haven’t heard about this skeevy coach for the Norwegian team. Although maybe that’s to my benefit; I’m certainly glad that I didn’t hear Cockerline, like Cimorene did.

pedimd: That may be, but I would also think that men, who are on average heavier than women, would be travelling faster as a result, so the benefit of being “stronger” is a matter of ratio. As our tall friend muchell mentions, physical characteristics aren’t gender-exclusive. And aren’t their sleds custom-built to fit their bodies, so limb-length thing is also sort of moot? (I’m honestly asking; I don’t know.)

bluebears: This “protection” thing is driving me nuts lately. I just heard a story about how women shouldn’t be in combat roles because they are so precious and wonderful, they would totally ruin the manly manly business of war. (Also, there are apparently “toilet issues”). …perhaps there is a post here.

By: chrisbean

chrisbean — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:32:34 +0000

RIGHT.

Who are they kidding with “women haven’t been ski jumping internationally/competitively for long enough” crap.

Women have been competing internationally in ski jump since BEFORE SNOWBOARDING EXISTED.

By: muchell (mesaventure)

muchell (mesaventure) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:16:15 +0000

I don’t understand why tallness and amount of musculature have to be gendered concepts. Olympic athletes represent a very narrow range of body types, and this is further determined by the sport itself. If luge calls for height and strength, then it seems logical that tall, strong women will become lugers. Maybe I should become a luger. I’ve got tall down…

By: DangerMouse

DangerMouse — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:05:32 +0000

You missed the guy who called it the “old lady start.” Not just for ladies, but the old ones!

By: bluebears

bluebears — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:08:07 +0000

The Olympics have a long history of discrimination against women athlete’s. The powers that be have long held onto the idea that women needed to be “protected” in ways that they feel men don’t. Here is another perfect example. There is absolutely NO logical reason to shorten the women’s course.