6 | Features
The five multi-coloured rings of inequality Lauren Harries
D
espite claims that the Tokyo Olympics is one of the most gender equal games, it did not take place without some controversy. Among the controversies were Canada’s win over the American beach volleyball team and the new Nike spikes that caused multiple Olympic track records to be questioned. Such controversy resulted in athletes like Simone Biles and Kim Gaucher making news headlines. The underlying issue is the overall inequality inflicted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the form of racism and sexism. The Tokyo Olympics, according to ABC News, were said to be one of the most gender equal games, with 49% of the athletes competing being female. However, this does not mean that sexism is not an issue within the Olympic Games. The Olympics has, on many occasions, failed to provide for female athletes, be it with regards to pregnancy, breastfeeding or testosterone levels. There are various examples of this public sexism within the Tokyo Olympic games. According to BBC News, Canadian boxer, Mandy Bujold, was originally unable to compete at the Olympics as the IOC selected qualifier
events during 2018 and 2019. At this time, Bujold was pregnant and was unable to compete. However, the IOC refused to budge, so Bujold fought the decision in court. In the end, Bujold was allowed to compete at this year’s Olympics. Bujold is not the only female Canadian to experience sexism with regards to the Olympics. During the 2021 Olympics, the city of Tokyo prevented the family members of athletes from attending the games. This meant that many female athletes had to decide between the Olympics and being able to breastfeed their infants. Kim Gaucher, a Canadian basketball player, pleaded with the IOC to allow her child to come with her to the Olympics so that she could continue breastfeeding. This plea was met with the IOC referring to the infant as an “unaccredited person”, which, according to a BBC News report, is a term often associated with fans. The IOC’s inability to recognise the gender inequality that exists around the Olympics goes further than just the athletes. According to BBC News, only 33,3% of its executive board and 37,5% of its overall committee members are female. According to Cheryl Cooky, a professor of gender studies at Purdue University, as long as the IOC remains
23 August 2021
a male dominated committee, female athletes will continue to be disadvantaged as the event fails to cater to their needs. The Olympic’s inequality is not a topic that is foreign to South Africans. One of our own athletes, Caster Semenya, has been at the centre of Olympic controversy. According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2018, the IOC introduced new testosterone limits for women competing in the distances between 400m and 1500m. Consequently, Semenya, who has naturally higher testosterone levels, was prevented from competing in her distance of choice - the 800m. Semenya refused to change her natural hormone levels, resulting in her inability to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. The IOC testosterone level limitations have affected more people than Semenya. According to The New York Times, they have also prevented Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi from being able to compete in certain instances. The IOC argues that the increased testosterone levels give female athletes an unfair advantage over those that do not naturally have increased testosterone levels. It is believed that this increased testosterone level allows the female athletes to run faster than those that do not have this advantage by giving them a physiological advantage. However, in the Tokyo Olympics 800m event this year, the female athlete that placed first had a time of 1:55:21 - less than a second more than Semenya’s best time of 1:54:24. However, sexism is not the only form of inequality experienced at the Olympics. The banning of the Soul Caps, swimming caps specifically designed to protect the hair of black swimmers, also made headlines this Olympic season. Racism at the Olympics is not uncommon, as AP News reported that a German official was sent home during the Tokyo Olympics due to the use of a racist slur. The Olympic Games have served the media and athletes with inequalities for many years. It may be argued that the inequalities seen in the media from the Tokyo Olympics merely shows a shift from sport being about sport, to sport being about taking a political stand. However, the IOC has continuously failed to correct the inequalities experienced by many athletes, specifically female and black athletes. This year seemed to be no different.
Check out our 2021 magazine!
Send us a message on Instagram @pdbymedia for a copy
