IOC not facing gender imbalance

[allezfred]

Article

Women boxers have claimed an early victory at the 2012 Olympics by knocking out the last all-male sport but the battle for sex equality at the Games rages on, and not just among women - male synchronized swimmers are also demanding equal rights.

London marks the first Olympics where women will compete in all 26 sports on offer, a major change from Stockholm 100 years ago when women could only participate in five of 110 events.

Campaigners for gender equality acknowledge there has been progress but stress the battle is far from over and the Games must symbolise, reflect and celebrate the dominant beliefs and values of society.

Male synchronised swimming and rhythmic gymnastics!

[SHARPIE]

Male synchronised swimming and rhythmic gymnastics!

That would be all kinds of awesome! Im on the campaign!

[A.H.Black]

Article



Male synchronised swimming and rhythmic gymnastics!

I'm not sure there needs to be a separate category for synchronized swimming. I just think males should be allowed on the team. Make it like Equestrian. Males and females compete together. I'm not sure it would work but it would be worth trying.

[RFOS]

I'm not sure there needs to be a separate category for synchronized swimming. I just think males should be allowed on the team. Make it like Equestrian. Males and females compete together. I'm not sure it would work but it would be worth trying.

Don't they already allow that? I thought so, but I guess not in the Olympics. I do remember seeing a male synchronized swimmer before (Bill May) but that must have been the Goodwill Games I was remembering him from. It is ridiculous that he can't/couldn't compete at the Olympics.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.as...0&nav=0RaPOBBD
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/goo...9/synch_first/

[AYS]

The fact that, in swimming, men swim the 1500m free (and not the 800) and women swim the 800 and not the 1500 is ridiculous. There is absolutely no reasonable basis for that!

[HisWeirness]

Men's Synchro always makes me think of this SNL bit:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...44961711350389

[Domshabfan]

The fact that, in swimming, men swim the 1500m free (and not the 800) and women swim the 800 and not the 1500 is ridiculous. There is absolutely no reasonable basis for that!

Especially when there is a 10 km open water event which both men and some swim. On top of that Women do swim 1500 mts event at the world championships. Unless FINA wanted to include this event as an additional event to Olympics in addition to 800 mts (800 mts for men and 1500 for women). I know FINA tried to add new events to 2012 olympics like 50 mts Breastroke, Backstroke etc, along with 1500 mts Women, but IOC did not want any more swimming events.

[A.H.Black]

Don't know what it means, if anything, but the US has more women on the Olympic team than men - http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...ae3604df6dc283

[maatTheViking]

Does anyone know why women's and men's gymnastics have different apparatus? I find the rings amazing, and the uneven bars much more exiting than the parallel bars, for instance.

I think the notion of men's or women's only sports are silly.

[vesperholly]

Does anyone know why women's and men's gymnastics have different apparatus? I find the rings amazing, and the uneven bars much more exiting than the parallel bars, for instance.

Gymnastics started out as a men's sport and women didn't start competing until after WWII. Uneven bars developed from parallel bars - watch footage from the 50s and it's obvious how that happened. Beam was added by FIG to showcase women's "grace and beauty".

Rings and pommel horse were probably excluded because of the demands on upper body strength.

[Aussie Willy]

The world champion women's Japanese soccer team and Australian women's basketball team were put on economy whilst the men's teams in these sport got to fly business.

http://www.theage.com.au/olympics/ne...719-22bb7.html

[love_skate2011]

so no more male only sports in Olympics but there is still womens only Scynchronized swimming and rhyhtmic gymnastics

but seriously, I cannot picture a guy doing so much flexibility and with hoop, ribbon, ball , clubs

[4rkidz]

I like the idea of combining men into the synchro and rhythmic gymnastics.. they could throw the women really high.. would certainly make it more exciting...but as long as only a couple of guys.. in reality they will always have to mainly separate genders because women would never make so many of the teams with men typically being stronger - physically that is..