Women's Boxing in, Softball Out of Summer Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted last week to include women’s boxing to the 2012 London Olympics, the New York Times reports. It also recommended golf and rugby to be added to the 2016 games. Five other sports were rejected: baseball, softball, karate, roller sports and squash.

Of the 26 sports at last year’s games in Beijing, boxing was the only one that did not include women. Many opponents feel the sport is too dangerous for women. However, by adding it to the program for 2012, one of the biggest barriers in Olympic sports has come crashing down.

Other women’s sports have already been part of the Olympic program. Women competed in judo for the first time in 1992 and in weightlifting in 2000. However, if the IOC is truly serious about including more women’s sports, then softball should have been voted back in. Softball had been part of the Olympic program since 1996 until 2004 when the IOC board voted it off.

I am still hopeful that women’s ski jumping will be added to the Winter Olympics program for 2014.

Great Moments in Women’s Sports

Wimbledon’s ground-breaking announcement last week for equal prize money for its men’s and women’s champions is one of Sports Illustrated’s landmark moments in women’s sports history. On its Web site, SI takes a photographic look at other milestones in women’s sports. Other top events include the U.S. women’s soccer team winning the World Cup, the launch of the WNBA, the famous “Battle of the Sexes” between Billie Jean King and Bobbie Riggs, and the ruling allowing women reporters in the locker room.

American Women Finish Second in Gymnastics Championships

The U.S. women's gymnastics team finished second in the world championships in Aarhus,
Denmark after making several mistakes on their routines. China captured the world team title in women’s gymnastics for the first time in international competition. Russia finished third.

American men finished a disappointing 13th overall in the team competition.