Tori Bowie Has Passed Away

 

Tori Bowie a three time Olympic gold medalist was found dead in her home. This comes as a major shock to the sport. The cause of death is not known. Bowie was only 32 years of age. Little information has been given about what her health condition was. Law enforcement claims no evidence of murder has been found. Suicide could not be an answer. No note was left or implication was given.  Friends, family, and fellow athletes have been mourning the loss of  at talented track and field competitor. Born in 1990, her athletic career began in high school. She won school championships and during her 20s made an incredible rise. The 2016 Rio Olympics she was able to win a silver, bronze, and gold medal. The 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and the 400 rely were the events she excelled. More rumors surrounding her death continue to circulate. Nothing is certain until a thorough investigation is conducted. The findings might not become public, depending on her family's wishes. Track and field will not be the same without her.   

World Athletics Bans Transwomen From Competition

 

World Athletics has officially banned transwomen from competition. No category is provided for them and transwomen would not be allowed to compete in the men's category. Another ban has been issued to women with differences in sexual development. Women with SDS are not transwomen, so it is puzzling why they were included in the new policy. The argument is that both transwomen and women with SDS have an unfair athletic advantage. There are few transwomen active in sports and there is not enough data on their performance to say it is impossible for cisgender women to compete with them. Sexual reassignment surgery and hormone replacement does reduce testosterone levels. World Athletics intends to within a year address the issue of transwomen's inclusion. Sebastian Coe President of World Athletics admitted that there are no transwomen currently active in elite international competition. The assertion of protection of female athletes is dubious. Scientific data has shown that transwomen do not remain the same athletic performance, prior to transition. The question remains whether or not all physical advantages can be reduced. If bans can be applied to one group and can be done to others. Russia and Belarus are being excluded based on politics. Policing this new policy could revive sex testing. The argument of ensuring fairness is covering obvious discrimination. World Athletics could have avoided human rights violations and criticism by creating an open category. The formation of an open category would allow transwomen to compete and prevent discrimination against  LGBTQ athletes. The controversy will not go away with a ban. More protests and objections will be directed at World Athletics due to this decision. 

The W Series Funding Challenges

 

The W Series announced that its season has been cut short. Funding issues are cited as a reason. The women's only  motorsport competition was designed to get more women involved. There are some criticisms about the W Series. There is no reason that women cannot compete with men in other established races. Physical fitness such as strength and running speed are not major factors. The sport is non-contact. The physical challenge is the amount of G-force present and being skilled with the car. The great aspect of this is that a large number of female athletes in motorsport are together. The other dimension is unnecessary sex segregation. A man would not be allowed to participate in the race. If there was an official rule to keep women out of racing the objections would be numerous. Motorsport does not need a women's only gym. The motivation is understandable, but there are issue that come with that. Perhaps the W Series could be a training ground for female athletes to compete in Formula 1 or NASCAR. The races could be used to increase skills and develop new talent. Jamie Chadwick has shown promise winning three championships. Although the W Series  can be criticized, one should not hope for its failure. Sponsorship and fundraising efforts must increase to save the W Series. Then ticket sales must increase, along with building a fan base. Funding challenges are one of the biggest obstacles to women's sports. CEO Catherine Bond Muir must develop a new business model based on these solutions. What can be speculated is that the W Series in the 2023 season will have fewer races.  

Laura Creavalle 1992 Ms. Olympia

 

The Rise of The Green Falcons

 

Women's soccer in Saudi Arabia is taking the spotlight. The Green Falcons are the women's national soccer team of the KSA. The team was launched in October of 2021 and demonstrates a major cultural shift. Women are now taking part in more activities that were not available to them before. Women's participation in sports was low and part of the Vision 2030 program was to get women more active. The goal also wants to seeing more international sports competition. The Green Falcons have played against Seychelles, Maldives, and Bhutan. With enough effort, the Green Falcons could at some point reach the Women's World Cup. Their progress in such a short time demonstrates the importance of investment and government programs. According to the Khaleej Times women's sports participation rose to 150% in the last four years. The data also claims 195,000 girls are playing sports. The demographic was between 5 to 15 and showed they were doing this on a weekly basis. Construction of training facilities are underway and plans for developing more talent. Women are gaining more freedom, but it should not be limited to one section of society. Other occupations should be given as much attention for women's advancement. Women need to have more administrative positions in the Saudi Arabian  Football Federation. As long as the Green Falcons maintain quality coaching and win more games their future is bright. Saudi women might begin to compete in other sports besides soccer. 

Andrea Shaw Wants To Win 11 Ms. Olympia Contests

 

Andrea Shaw has some big goals in mind. Back in March of 2022, she stated in a Generation Iron interview her intent to win 11 Ms. Olympia contests. What Andrea intends to do is replicate a feat done by Iris Kyle. Iris Kyle won the contest ten times and if Andrea does this that would break the record. Andrea Shaw is a very capable athlete. Her physique is definitely the same quality of Iris Kyle and Lenda Murray. The question about if this is possible is reliant on several factors. Competitors like Margie Martin and Helle Trevino  are formidable. More competitors could be coming to the open class bodybuilding division. Then it is uncertain if Iris Kyle would comeback to the stage one last time. Then Andrea Shaw explained that if she did not have the drive to continue, she would retire. What Andrea mentioned is that being a promoter would be her interest after her competitive years are over. Andrea expressed that she also wanted to expand the sport for women. Andrea Shaw might continue to dominate the Ms. Olympia stage in the 2020s. Andrea would have to win every Ms. Olympia from now up until 2031. Hopefully, there will not be an absence of the contest or disruption. If all goes according to plan, Andrea would go down as the best bodybuilder of the 21st century. Andrea Shaw is already making her impact. The next Ms. Olympia will be coming up and it will be no surprise if  repeats her victory like in 2021.  

Tobi Amusan Sets A Sports Record

 

Tobi Amusan has set a new world record in the 100m hurdles . Her rise has been gradual with improvements being seen over the years. Kendra Harrison's record was broken by Tobi. Her time clocked was 12,12 seconds. This is an impressive feat. Some have suggested that the timing system was off. Other have implied that the shoes she was wearing for the race gave her an advantage. It appears some do not want to believe an athlete can break records without assistance. Tobi Amusan's footwear was Adidas Adizero shoes. The shoes are not considered illegal in races, nor can it be stated they provide unfair advantage. The Adidas shoe appears to provide more comfort and injury prevention. Tobi Amusan revealed that using the Adizero shoes helped her with patella fasciitis. If wind speed is too powerful  certain times are not allowed for record purposes. This explains why her time of 12.06 in the final will not be added to athletics records. Shoes did not make this happen. Talent and training made it possible. If she keeps improving, then Amusan's appearance at the Olympics will happen. Nigeria has the chance to win many gold medals with an impressive group of athletes.