gaudia certaminis

I think there I've been overworking my back and shoulder, since my right shoulder is now painful. Most annoying, because it limits my movement even further! Add to that the heat and humidity of an otherwise beautiful summer day, and I'm feeling a little miserable. I'll overcome it before I call my dad this evening, because he's got this uncanny ability to know when I'm feeling "off" so I have to ensure that things are fine before I call.

Another Olympic year rolls to a close. I've maintained my lifelong habit of not paying attention to the games. This year had been one that I was likely to watch, since my friend's son had been a potential contender in water polo. Before the games were cancelled last year, we had been planning to travel to Tokyo to watch Team Canada play... and they were close to  qualification. This year, Covid ran rampant and with everything else, they didn't qualify, so… my reason for watching the Games also didn't make it! Hearing the highlights on the news, though, led to some interesting (to me) observations. I had passing interest in the performance of athletes from Canada and Trinidad & Tobago, enough that I would look at the sports sections to see how they did. Both countries apparently broke records in the Games. Very encouraging! Even more inspirational was that the women athletes achieved results that exceeded expectations. I am not a sports fan. I will occasionally watch something-most usually because it's on and I'm not allowed to change the channel- but I'd rather watch reruns than hockey. But even for me, the women's performances were stellar. They have met the standards set by the men, and have definitely set new bars for future generations. 

That's a very long way from the debates in the 1980's about letting women reporters into the men's locker room. And even further from the ridiculous delusions about women being too fragile to play competitive sports! there were a series of justifications for keeping girls and women out of sports for a long time.  It is therefore unsurprising that there are people who haven't fully accepted women playing competitive sport. There are: so many other conversations to be held regarding women's sports: 

• pay equity;
• access to training facilities;
• Contracts and endorsement of products; and
• Advertising, & sponsorship  opportunities... .

It's time IMO, that we got over the need for creating divisions that are based on gender. we can certainly stratify on criteria like weight, capability (like being a brown belt vs. a green belt) or other independent factor. We've largely overcome the idea of "boys' " and “ girls’ ” sports, so why should we try to perpetuate  the idea  for elite levels?

No, I'm not a sports fan, nor do I pay any attention to the Olympics. My interest only pops up if there's something that leaps out, like the improved (-and improving) results by women’s teams and individuals. The other "controversy" that got my attention was the sexualization of female athletes in the "uniforms" of skimpy bikini bottoms for racing, volleyball, etc. It makes no sense to me that women should be required to compete like they were out of a male wet- dream comic strip, while men have far fewer restrictions and expecting us to be a role model for boys  we'd do better to allow the competitors to determine what's best -for them, not the officials, who appear as creepy, geriatric pervs.

That’s my rant on the Games and on women in sport.  I am continuing not to pay any attention to the games or anything else, any my life remains unruffled by them.  I’ve half listened while watching the news, as the anchors pivot from fan squealing to babble about emulating their favourite athlete.  It’s 2 weeks when the world hopes that there will not be any news that’s going to grab international headlines, so we focus obsessively on everything