Gender Equality In Sports

American Anna Tunnicliffe, two-time Olympic sailor (Gold Medal at 2008 Beijing Games), and now CrossFit Athlete, comments about gender in sports…

No doubt there is gender inequality in sports, but it is a lot better than it used to be in that women used to not be able to compete. Now we compete in all the same sports. In some sports the payouts are equal and the TV time is equal. In some it is not. It will be along uphill battle, and women will have to keep fighting and working hard to earn the respect needed to get to that point. I compete in two sports, one where women are paid equal and get as much TV time as the men, if not more.

In the other sport, it is a very male dominated sport outside of the Olympics. Part of it has to do with physical strength, and part of it has to do with egos. But it’s not impossible to break into the male dominated sport as a woman. Some of us have gotten there, through hard work. And for sure, gaining the coverage time we want and deserve, and to get the pay that we want will come over time.