Storytelling that balances statistics and compassion, from A to Z
“Do you really think professional athletes should compete in the Olympics?” a friend asked me. If you are of a certain age, you remember when they didn’t, and perhaps wax nostalgic that somehow the Olympics were better for it.
Hogwash.
Continue reading “Domination (Paris 2024)”
I have been hesitant to write this particular blog, despite the nagging sensation that it would be a public service. The nasty things said about Algerian boxer Imane Khelif over the past “16 days of glory,” aka the Olympics, have been like a recurring nightmare. I don’t want to add more noise. But I would like to provide a little perspective. That is, how did we get here?
You see, I just spent three months writing an article on the history of gender verification policies by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). When I read that the IBA and IOC are arguing over the gender testing of two boxers, I know why it’s so messy, disputed, and unclear. It’s because human beings don’t fit into neat little boxes, no matter how hard those (white wealthy gentlemen athletes) who started the Games have always tried.
It’s always been about what one researcher called “policing the binary.” It’s always been about Femininity Control.
Continue reading “Men Lurking Within/Gender Testing and the IOC”
What do yoga, obstacle courses, and the Rockettes have in common? They are each similar to exercise styles that were the precursor to modern competitive gymnastics.
You probably have all the details you need to know about the history of Simone Biles, the GOAT of women’s gymnastics. You’ve seen her parents, heard about what she did at age seven, know her family history, medical history, and her husband’s shoe size. You know how she got here. But how did gymnastics get here into the Olympics? It may surprise you to know that gymnastics emerged from multiple paths, all of which had cultural and philosophical movements attached to them.
Continue reading “Turners, Sokols, and the Swedish Cure: Gymnastics History & the Games”