The Historical Exclusion of Women in Sports

The struggle for women to participate in sports has a long history, rooted in the establishment of the Modern Olympics by Pierre de Coubertin, who initially rejected female competitors. His views portrayed women as impractical for the Olympics, leading to the creation of a separate category for female athletes when they were eventually allowed to compete. This move, however, did not resolve the complexities surrounding gender in sports. Instead, it initiated a continuous debate on how to properly classify athletes, ultimately leading to sustained efforts to differentiate men from women based on physical attributes.