By D. W. G. Kalani Tharanga, JadeTimes News
Breaking Records and Shattering Norms
Penny Lee Dean vividly recalls the bone chilling cold from her training sessions for the record setting swim across the English Channel in 1978. Despite the brutal conditions, which left her hands and legs cramping and necessitated hours in hot tubs to feel warm again, Dean persevered. This ability to withstand extreme cold, partly due to women's natural fat distribution, is an advantage in cold water swimming. Dean also believes that women have a higher tolerance for discomfort, contributing to their success in such grueling sports.
Women can perform on par or even surpass men in various competitive events, including ultrarunning and sport shooting. However, the journey toward greater inclusion and understanding of the role of sex in athletic performance remains complex and non linear. Øyvind Sandbakk, a professor of sports science, notes that the performance gap between elite female and male athletes tends to plateau around an 8–12% difference in favor of men. Yet, this gap can be narrower in ultra endurance events and more pronounced in sports requiring significant upper body strength.
In ultradistance competitions, the ability to manage multiple factors, such as weather and pain, is crucial. Women often excel in pacing, an essential skill in long distance events. Despite biological and social factors influencing performance, women have demonstrated remarkable resilience and mental fortitude, qualities that Dean and other athletes exemplify in their record breaking achievements.
The Mental Game and Gender Dynamics in Sport
Mental strength plays a pivotal role in athletic success, as seen in both ultradistance swimming and sport shooting. Kim Yeji, a top athlete in women's and mixed shooting events at the Paris Olympics, emphasizes the importance of maintaining composure under pressure. Her calm demeanor and mental discipline have contributed to her setting a world record in the women's 25 metre pistol event.
Shooting sports, particularly those involving stationary targets, showcase the minimal performance differences between men and women. However, sports with moving targets still see men outperforming women. The history of women's inclusion in shooting sports highlights ongoing challenges and complexities in gender dynamics within athletics. Notably, the mixed sex skeet shooting event, where Chinese shooter Zhang Shan won gold in 1992, was discontinued for women in subsequent Olympics, reflecting the uneven path toward gender equality in sports.
The Paris Olympics mark a significant milestone with equal numbers of female and male athletes, presenting an opportunity to address remaining gaps in inclusion. While much of the current sports science is based on research involving men, there is a growing recognition of the need for more studies focused on women and non binary athletes. Celebrating achievements in women's sports without constant comparison to men's performance is essential. Embracing the spectrum of athletic capabilities can foster greater gender diversity and appreciation for the unique strengths that women bring to competitive sports.
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