jwreck
10-27-2011, 06:32 PM
Women will get a chance to box in the Olympics for the first time in 2012. If the Amateur International Boxing Association has anything to say about it, they will be wearing skirts.
That's right, skirts. The AIBA has introduced a trial alternate uniform, asking female boxers to wear skirts because it will make the women easier to distinguish from the men, as if the completely different bodies wasn't enough. Poland adopted the uniform, calling the uniforms more "elegant" and "womanly."
Unsurprisingly, many top female boxers are against this plan. Three-time world champion Katie Taylor from Ireland does not want to wear something that she would find uncomfortable while fighting:
"It's a disgrace that they're forcing some of the women to wear those mini-skirts. We should be able to wear shorts, just like the men.
"I won't be wearing a mini-skirt. I don't even wear mini-skirts on a night out, so I definitely won't be wearing mini-skirts in the ring."
England's Nicola Adams would rather stick with the uniform that is in line with boxing's heritage:
"Boxing has always been in shorts. I don't see why it should change to skirts just because you're a female."
There are other Olympians who wear skirts while competing. Ice skaters wear dresses created by top designers, but what their performance looks like matters. Tennis and field hockey players wear skirts and kilts, but both outfits are part of those sport's heritage.
In other combat sports in the Olympics, women wear the same thing as men. Judo players wear gis, wrestlers wear singlets, and fencers wear kits. Those sports don't have a problem distinguishing between men and women.
Athletes should be allowed to wear what is right for their sport, regardless of whether it is elegant or not. Playing sports is not always elegant, but that does not make it any less womanly. Getting a knockout, grabbing a rebound, sticking a vault, hitting a home run or breaking a world record are all womanly, whether the athlete is wearing a skirt not.link (http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Boxing-federation-wants-female-boxers-to-wear-sk?urn=oly-wp850)
WTF?? :not::not:
That's right, skirts. The AIBA has introduced a trial alternate uniform, asking female boxers to wear skirts because it will make the women easier to distinguish from the men, as if the completely different bodies wasn't enough. Poland adopted the uniform, calling the uniforms more "elegant" and "womanly."
Unsurprisingly, many top female boxers are against this plan. Three-time world champion Katie Taylor from Ireland does not want to wear something that she would find uncomfortable while fighting:
"It's a disgrace that they're forcing some of the women to wear those mini-skirts. We should be able to wear shorts, just like the men.
"I won't be wearing a mini-skirt. I don't even wear mini-skirts on a night out, so I definitely won't be wearing mini-skirts in the ring."
England's Nicola Adams would rather stick with the uniform that is in line with boxing's heritage:
"Boxing has always been in shorts. I don't see why it should change to skirts just because you're a female."
There are other Olympians who wear skirts while competing. Ice skaters wear dresses created by top designers, but what their performance looks like matters. Tennis and field hockey players wear skirts and kilts, but both outfits are part of those sport's heritage.
In other combat sports in the Olympics, women wear the same thing as men. Judo players wear gis, wrestlers wear singlets, and fencers wear kits. Those sports don't have a problem distinguishing between men and women.
Athletes should be allowed to wear what is right for their sport, regardless of whether it is elegant or not. Playing sports is not always elegant, but that does not make it any less womanly. Getting a knockout, grabbing a rebound, sticking a vault, hitting a home run or breaking a world record are all womanly, whether the athlete is wearing a skirt not.link (http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Boxing-federation-wants-female-boxers-to-wear-sk?urn=oly-wp850)
WTF?? :not::not: