Up to a few years ago, certain athletic disciplines were still only available for men. For example, women have only been competing in pole vault since 1999, while they were allowed to compete in race walk for the first time only last year.
During the European Championships in Berlin seven female athletes participated in the 50-km race walk contest, but only four of them managed to cross the finish line. These completely exhausted girls moved at a pace of a person walking towards a bus stop during the race, and instead of fervor, the audience felt sorry for them.
“Unfortunately, these are barely numbers without using any common sense – men compete in 24 disciplines, so women cannot compete in only 23 disciplines; moreover, the disciplines have to be exactly the same. There is no way that anyone would take few kilometers away from the girls,” Commentator Jakub Marek said about the decision of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
The race in Berlin was nothing in comparison to what awaits female athletes at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar. At the beginning of October and even despite the night start, it will be more like a struggle for survival than a battle for medals – all of this only for the sake of gender balance.
