Sports went from imposing to breaking stereotypes, say experts
▲ New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was the first transgender competitor at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ap Photo
Erendira Palma Hernández
La Jornada Newspaper
Saturday April 20, 2024, p. a10
Sport has gone from imposing gender stereotypes to becoming a tool to break them. Although the participation of women overthrew the idea of the exclusivity of physical strength for men, now the visibility of transgender athletes has opened a debate regarding the lack of studies to know the true aspects that influence sports skills, which could be the door for mixed categories.
Specialists in sports medicine, gender issues and sports activities analyzed in the round table Sport without barriersorganized by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in the context of International Fair Play Day, the impact that the inclusion of women in the sports field has had, as well as the debate over the participation of transgender athletes.
Janet Ávila, a specialist in sports medicine, pointed out that testosterone has been overrated to be the only parameter that international sports organizations consider to determine the advantages that female athletes may have. trans. There are other aspects that we have seen that have greater value, such as reaction speed, where there is a significant difference, he noted.
We are in our infancy when it comes to transgender research. In fact, I would like to call on UNAM to have more visibility in internal competencies, we are eager to carry out projects. We need to disseminate the issue, since it requires a lot of time, and in at least four years we will not have a concrete answer, he pointed out.
Jaime Moreno, coordinator of the training center for judges and referees, advocated thinking in mixed categories to generate true inclusion as has happened in 3×3 basketball or mixed relay events in athletics. “For now the solution of the federations has only been to limit the participation of the athletes trans“, lament.
The history of exclusion of these athletes recalls the beginnings of women’s participation in sports, when they were denied this field for various reasons, including supposedly taking care of their health without sufficient studies, as happened with boxing. Now, female athletes have gained ground not only as professionals, but also to break with the gender mandate that relates femininity to fragility.
María de Jesús Ortega, a former weightlifter and now one of the few coaches in this discipline, remembers that because of her complexion as a thin and short woman, she was relegated to a sport that reflects the potential for physical strength. However, she overcame criticism by winning championships and even fighting for a ticket to the Olympic Games.
When I started in this sport it was frowned upon for a woman to lift weights. But who decides what a woman’s body should be like? Only we can do it.
The development of women in sports has not only been as competitors. Claudia Pedraza, a specialist in gender and sports issues, recalled that for a long time they were relegated to an image of cheerleaders, who were unaware of the disciplines. Now, she highlighted the existence of feminist soccer groups that seek to promote athletes and fight for their rights.
The sheer participation of women already breaks the mold. Everything is against female athletes, from the structure to the media. Walls that seemed insurmountable have already been demolished. There are things missing, but we have already started and they are not going to stop us, said Hortensia Moreno, an academic at the Gender Studies Research Center.
2024-04-20 08:22:03
#Sports #imposing #breaking #stereotypes #experts
