The age-old custom of always holding women’s finals before men at athletic events has been around for donkey years.
In fact, it has been a habit since athletics first began thousands of years ago.
But that is about to change and one of Australia’s biggest sports stars has thrown his support behind the movement to shatter the ‘chauvinistic tradition’.
2012 Olympic gold medalist Sally Pearson has praised World Athletics after the sport’s governing body announced plans to announce the women’s 4×400 meter relay as the final event for the Athletics Championships. Earth 2022 in Oregon.
This is the first time in history that the event will not be a men’s track race.
“It’s that detail that I think some people forget and that I only think of as important when a young girl is growing up in this generation, when gender equality is very important, she asks questions like ‘why do men always go first or why are they always the last event to end a competition. Are they more special than we are? “Pearson told News Corp.
“Of course we didn’t ask these questions when I was growing up because it didn’t cross our minds but now that it’s put first, we need to look at the details. that information and ensure that women’s events and performances are identified as equivalent to men’s events. “
Overall, athletics has been a standing leader in pushing for gender equality in recent years – and other sports will certainly take note of this latest trend.
11 days ago“Gender equality should no longer be a theoretical debate in any group,” said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
“We should all take action by identifying barriers, reviewing our policies and practices, and creating clear pathways for women to rise, rise and be accepted. part at every level. “
As well as being a technical athlete advisor on the High Performance team for the Tokyo Olympics, Pearson is also a mentor with Athletics Australia.
But since retiring in 2019, the 34-year-old has made her efforts to help tackle gender inequality and bias in sport.
And now, at last, she seems to be seeing a much-needed change.
“These things show that I think we don’t realize that they have a big impact on making women’s events, or women’s sports, or women’s in particular … by recognizing the Their achievements are as important as the men ‘s events, “she told The Ticket.
“I think it’s wonderful but at the same time we don’t want this to just be around International Women’s Day, we want this to be around all the time and on recognition all the time year and year out. “