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Christopher Richards

Women in Sports

Womens participation in sport has a long history. It is a history marked by division and

discrimination but also one filled with major accomplishments by female athletes and important

advances for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

In the ancient Olympics ! b.c" women were not even allowed to watch the competitions.

#owever" the precise history of women sports can be traced back to the late nineteenth and early

twentieth century. In early $%th century" a separate women&s athletic event" the #eraea 'ames

featuring footraces for women" held every four years was eventually developed. (ut there was

only few women participated in the sports. )lthough married women were e*cluded from the

Olympics even as spectators" +yniscawon an Olympic game as owner of a chariot ,champions

of chariot races were owners not riders-" as did uryleonis" (elistiche" /eu*o" ncrateia and

#ermione" 0imareta" 0heodota and +assia.

0he educational committees of the 1rench 2evolution,345- included intellectual" moral" and

physical education for girls and boys alike. With the victory of 6apoleon less than twenty years

later" physical education was reduced to military preparedness for boys and men. In 'ermany"

the physical education of 'uts 7uths,358- included girl&s education. 0his included the

measurement of performances of girls. 0his led to women&s sport being more actively pursued in

'ermany than in most other countries. When the 19d9ration Sportive 19minine

Internationalewas formed as an all:womens international organi;ation it had a 'erman male

vice:president" and 'erman international success in elite sports.

Women&s sports in the late 34%%s focused on correct posture" facial and bodily beauty" muscles"

and health.

Some notable achievements of women in the nineteen century are as followsueen of Scotsis said to be the first woman to play golf in Scotland. She

scandali;es the country when she plays golf a few days after her husband ?ord @arnley&s murder.

3%A 1eistySarah Bemble Bnightundertakes a solo horseback journey from (oston to 6ew

Cork.34330he first women&s golf tournament is held at 7usselburgh" Scotland.

34=! +atherine (eecherpublishes the first e*ercise manual for women.

34= Wellesley +ollegeopens and requires physical education as part of the curriculum.)nnie Oakleybeats her future husband" champion marksman 1rank (utler" at a shooting

competition.

344A 0he women&s singles competition begins at Wimbledon. 7aud Watson is the firstchampion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyniscahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euryleonishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belistichehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycrates_of_Argoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycrates_of_Argoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolutionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GutsMuthshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_Sportive_F%C3%A9minine_Internationalehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_Sportive_F%C3%A9minine_Internationalehttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0832061.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0832061.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0827923.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0827923.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0906899.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0851814.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0851814.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0836253.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/spot/00wimbledon1.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euryleonishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belistichehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycrates_of_Argoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycrates_of_Argoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolutionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GutsMuthshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_Sportive_F%C3%A9minine_Internationalehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_Sportive_F%C3%A9minine_Internationalehttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0832061.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0827923.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0906899.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0851814.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0836253.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/spot/00wimbledon1.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynisca

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Christopher Richards

345= )nnie Smith Deckis the first woman to climb the 7atterhorn.

0he first Olympic 'ames in the modern era" which were in 345! were not open to women" but

since then the number of women who have participated in the Olympic 'ames have increased

dramatically. In 345!" (aron Dierre de +oubertin" founder of the modern Olympics" stated< E6o

matter how toughened a sportswoman may be" her organism is not cut out to sustain certainshocks.F Such stereotypes fuelled gender:based discrimination in physical education and in

recreational and competitive sport" sporting organi;ations and sport media.

@uring the early nineteen century the following outstanding sports performance of women and

women organi;ations are noted below.

345 ?ena Gordan becomes the first person to perform a triple somersault on the trape;e.

35%% Women compete in the Daris Olympics in golf" tennis" and croquet.

35%3 )nnie 0aylor is the first person to go over6iagara 1allsin a barrel.35%$ Since there was no women&s competition" figure skater 7adge Syers of (ritain enters themen&s world championships and places second. In 35%4" she would win the first women&s

Olympic gold medal.

35% St. ?ouis" 7o.becomes the home of the first organi;ed women&sbowlingleague.

353A 0he )merican )thletic Hnion ,))H- allows women to register for the national swimming

championships.

353 ?ucy @iggs Slowe becomes the first )frican:)merican woman to win a national title in anysport when she wins the first women&s title at the )merican 0ennis )ssociation ,)0)- national

tournament.35$$ 0he ))H opens track and field events to women.

35$A 1igure skating is the only sport open to women at the first Winter Olympic 'ames.

35$! 'ertrude derlebecomes the first woman to swim the nglish +hannel.

In 353! the )mateur )thletic Hnion,))H- held its first national championship for women.

1ew women competed in sports in urope and 6orth )merica until the late nineteenth and earlytwentieth centuries" as social changes favored increased female participation in society as equals

with men. )lthough women were technically permitted to participate in many sports" relatively

few did. 0here was often disapproval of those who did" for a variety of social and psychologicalreasons that are still poorly understood.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0878947.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0832243.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/us/A0835554.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108593.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sports/A0808583.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sports/A0808583.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0816749.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_Athletic_Unionhttp://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0878947.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0832243.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/us/A0835554.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108593.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sports/A0808583.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0816749.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_Athletic_Union

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Christopher Richards

(icycling has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. Susan (.

)nthonysaid I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride on a wheel. It gives women a

feeling of freedom and self:reliance.

0he modern Olympicshad female competitors from 35%% onward" though women at first

participated in considerably fewer events than men. Women first made their appearance in the

Olympic 'ames in Daris in 35%%. 0hat year" $$ women competed in tennis" sailing" croquet"

equestrian" and golf. )s of the IO+:+ongress in Daris 353A a woman&s medal had formally thesame weight as a man&s in the official medal table. 0his left the decisions about women&s

participation to the individual international sports federations. +oncern over the physical strength

and stamina of women led to the discouragement of female participation in more physicallyintensive sports" and in some cases led to less physically demanding female versions of male

sports. 0husnetballwas developed out ofbasketballandsoftballout ofbaseball.

In response to the lack of support for women&s international sport the19d9ration Sportive

19minine Internationalewas founded in 1rance. 0his organi;ation initiated the Women&s World

'ames"which attracted participation of nearly $% countries and was held four times between

35$$ and 358A. 0he International Olympic +ommitteebegan to incorporate greater participation

of women at the Olympicsin response. 0he number of Olympic women athletes increased over

five:fold in the period" going from != at the 35$% Summer Olympicsto 883 at the 358! SummerOlympics.

7ost early women&s professional sports leagues foundered. 0his is often attributed to a lack of

spectator support. )mateur competitions became the primary venue for women&s sports.

0hroughout the mid:twentieth century" +ommunist countries dominated many Olympic sports"

including women&s sports" due to state:sponsored athletic programs that were technically

regarded as amateur. 0he legacy of these programs endured" as former +ommunist countries

continue to produce many of the top female athletes. 'ermany and Scandinavia also developed

strong women&s athletic programs in this period.

Some remarkable achievements are as follows