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comment Athletics is moving closer to gender equality IT was great to see the British women’s steeplechase record take a minor quantum leap last weekend when Hatti Dean set new figures of 9:43.11 at the BMC Nike Grand Prix in Manchester. Improving the old record by five seconds, Dean now has her sights set on the 9:40 barrier. The 3000m ’chase is admittedly a “developing event”, but it is good to see the record tumbling down. There is clearly more to come, too. The women’s UK record for 3000m flat is 50 seconds slower than the men’s mark. But the women’s steeplechase record is still a whopping one minute and 35 seconds slower than the men’s best. In other words, there is still plenty of room for improvement. This is not to devalue Dean’s run, which was a fine performance and the latest to demonstrate that women are no longer the second-class citizens the sport once regarded them as. Harold Abrahams, of Chariots of Fire fame, once said: “One has only to see them practising to realise how awkward they are on the running track.” Abrahams, the 1924 Olympic 100m champion, was not alone when it came to this opinion either. Despite the first modern Olympics being in 1896, women were not allowed to compete in track and field until 1928 – and then only in five events, the 100m, 800m, 4x100m, high jump and discus. The 800m was soon withdrawn from the Olympic programme, though, and not introduced again until 1960. This meant the longest event for women at the Games until 1956 was 200m. The 400m was finally introduced in 1964 and the marathon in 1984. Go back further in history and the ancient Greeks in Olympia not only barred women from competing but they threw them to their death from the nearest cliffs if they were even found watching the action. Next year, the women’s steeplechase will make its Olympic debut in Beijing and if Dean qualifies she will be part of the historic occasion. Following this, it is only a matter of time before women are deemed strong enough to compete in the decathlon and 50km walk. Then, at last, women will have found equality in athletics. ► ONE of the frequent criticisms levelled at AW is that it shows regional favouritism. Events in the south of England often steal slightly more space in the magazine, but this is only because they are usually busier events, with more athletes and, therefore, more likelihood of good performances. There is certainly no geographical bias involved.
I was born in the north-west of England,
my mother is from ► FINALLY, a number of readers have contacted me in recent weeks to comment about our ‘Basics’ section. Your views are extreme – it is either heartily praised or roundly ridiculed. AW Basics is aimed at beginners, so the articles and advice will naturally be of little interest to hardcore athletes who have been in the sport for years. Please continue to write in, though – and thanks, too, for all the reader surveys which have been returned in recent weeks. Jason Henderson, editor From this week's Athletics Weekly, - available in WH Smith and all good newsagents, or on subscription
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