Consider Kevin Mayer’s, the world’s no. 1 men’s decathlete, who does not specialize in any individual event. He could not begin to compete in any individual track and field event like the 100 meter dash or the shot put as a male with any success against those who train just for 1 event like the high jump, or a few similar events, like a sprinter.
But, if he Daley identified as a women and could compete against the best women in the world in the individual events as opposed to female decathletes, who have general ability but are not the best at any of them individually, he would be 1/100th of a second off the 100 m. world record for the 100 m, tied for the world high jump record and hold the world record in the long jump. I can’t compare the shot put, javelin and discus, because women use lighter weights, but, it is probable he would hold the world record in them, certainly if he used the lighter weights. In fact, in the javelin, he would have the world women’s record despite using a heavier weight. But, if he competed in the 2020 Olympic games against women, again, record holders in their individual events, he would have gotten gold medals in the 100 meters, the 400 meters, the high jump and the long jump. Using women’s weights in the throwing events, we have to reasonably presume he’d also be the winner in the javelin (definitely), shot put, and discus. Certainly, he’d be very competitive. And remember, this is against the best women in the world in those events, not female decathletes, against whom he’d likely win every single event.
The following chart compares Mayer’s best in the decathlon against the women’s world record in the individual events, the women in the 2020 Olympic events and the men’s world records. I do not include the shot put, javelin and discus because women use much smaller weights and they run the 100, not the 110 hurdles. [Note, in the track events, the lower number is superior (ran faster); in field events, the higher number is superior (threw or jumped further)].
Present Women’s Women’s
Event Kevin
Mayer’s best Women’s WR 2020
Olympics Men’s WR
100 meters 10.50 seconds 10.49 10.61 9.58
400 meters
48.26 47.60 48.36 43.03
1500 meters –
4:18.04 minutes/seconds 3:50.07 3.53.11 3.26.00
High jump 2.09 meters 2.09 2.04 2.45
Pole vault 4.80 5.06 4.90 6.20
Long jump 7.80 7.52 7.00 8.95
Of course, even now, he would easily, easily, had won the Olympic decathlon, probably if you let a team of women, the best each in their event (that is, not the decathletes, but the world record holders), compete against him.
Event Bruce
Jenner’s best Present
women’s WR Women’s 2022 Olympic
100 meters 10.94 s 10.49 10.61
400 meters
47.51 s 47.60 48.36
1500 meters –
4:12.61 m/s 3:50.07 3.53.11
High jump 2.03 m
2.09 2.04
Pole vault 5.45 m 5.06 4.90
Long jump 7.22 m 7.52 7.00
Please do not tell me that Bobby Riggs, who was
defeated by Billie Jean King, generally women’s best tennis player, when she
was 31 and he was 55 (a former champion) out-of-shape and without training, and
who played the first three games in a warm-up suit jacket, means anything (and,
actually, earlier, he beat Margaret Court, who was actually ranked no. 1 in
women’s tennis that year). In 1998, after bragging that she could beat any male
tennis player ranked lower than 200, Serena Williams, probably the
all-time greatest women’s player, played one set against Karsten Braasch, who
was ranked 203 in men’s tennis and lost 6-1. Her sister, almost as good, played
a set with him and lost 6-2. In 2013, Serena acknowledged that then champion
Andy Murray would beat her in 5 minutes 6-0, 6-0. When Jimmy Connors was over
40, he played women’s champion Martina Navratilova. No one, certainly not
Martina, thought she had a chance and she was given the advantage of hitting
into a larger court and Connor was handicapped by getting only one serve. He
still won.
I could go on, but allowing men in women’s sports is obvious - beyond crazy and deeply unfair to women athletes. Why are the woke, supposedly
on the side of women, so much against them and why in the world does anyone
listen to this idiocy? I cannot believe so many go along with it. But, I've said before, we are a sick country and it looks like getting sicker.
I was overjoyed to learn that this year the International
Swimming Federation finally determined not to allow biological males who experienced puberty
to compete with women. It’s time for all states to follow suite. I literally
cannot comprehend how it has not been found to have violated Title 9’s benefits
for women’s sports. While I understand the challenges that “transgender” people
may have and have empathy for them, it’s a misnomer, and I really don’t see how
it is different than a 18 year old high school athlete wanting to play jr. high
sports because he feels younger. It’s just an unfair advantage.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton
County (2020), which I cannot understand legally (I thought Justice Alito’s
dissent excoriated Gorsuch’s majority decision), applies the federal discrimination law to LGBT, despite the fact that they are not covered, and both sides (plaintiffs and defendants) admitted that it was not intended that it be the law when made. Though the decision was limited to saying a business cannot fire someone for being
transgender, it might be taken someday to mean you cannot prevent a transgender
athlete from competing against his/her chosen or imagined (rather than
biological) gender group in sports (male or female). I would argue that since a
transgender athlete does not actually change genders, whatever the surgery or
hormones one takes may be, it is not the same as not firing them.
It would make it easier if congress would simply
re-write the statute essentially barring transgender males who experienced
puberty (because it is reported that it tremendously affects performance) from competing against women or girls, unless the women voluntarily agree (e.g., their could be a co-ed league).
I must admit, I am completely baffled by this new
movement to multiply genders. I was talking to a college student recently who
was certain that there were more than two genders and that it was up to the
decision of the individual, the same as deciding if you will be a doctor,
lawyer or candlestick maker – except there’s no process or work involved. You
just decide, and can undecide (some people say their gender changes often).
When I asked him to tell me what those other genders
were he couldn’t say or how the change happened. I asked if “cake” was a gender (he hadn’t heard of that
one, but it does exist in some people’s minds – not that they think they are a
cake, but they say they feel like one). He fixed me a dark look and said
something to the effect that I could not possibly understand and that we
shouldn’t talk about it anymore. He was polite but very serious. That's among the more pleasant ways they are trained to react when their arguments are shown to be illogical.
My position is hardly unique, though I wanted to use decathletes to highlight the disparity in male and female athletes and did not know if it had done before. But many people have been outspoken against it. But many are afraid to as the current political/media situation allows for destroying people’s lives over their opinion. Riley Gaines,* who competed in college against Thomas in one of the events he didn’t blow everyone away, tied with him – but officials let him hold the trophy when the photograph was taken. She speaks out (her school backs her up), but explains why others are frightened:
“Once I found out that Lia Thomas was formerly a male
because I thought oh, because it makes sense, you know, it ‘makes sense how
these times that are so incredible are being swam. And I thought there’s no way
the NCAA will let this happen to where females are competing against this
person who is 6’ 4” and has male advantages. But I was clearly proven wrong. .
. I saw Thomas win a national title that first day which is just heart breaking
watching that happen, the tears of the 9th and 17th place
finishers who missed out on being named an All-American, the extreme discomfort
in the locker room. You know there’s just grumbles of anger and frustration but
no one really . . . we just weren’t sure how to take action and I feel like
that’s something a lot of female athletes are facing. . . But I am sitting here
explaining how this is so harmful to women. It’s something that jeopardizes
what title 9 was intended to protect. . . I can’t even believe I have to sit
here, like you said, and explain why this is wrong.”
[Concerning locker rooms] “As females we should at least
have a say in, you know, getting completely naked in front of a male and having
to see male parts. You know, these are things a couple of years ago would be
sexual harassment. . . And how in the world have we gotten to a point where we
are not even letting women know there will be a naked male in the locker room.
. . To be in that position it’s absolutely insane. Like this is something you
would think we wouldn’t allow.”
[The new Biden proposed Title 9] “But now, rather than that
being sexual harassment, this new Title 9, Biden Administration’s Title 9, it’s
sexual harassment to refer to refer to a transgender as their own pronouns.”
BTW, likely to be discussed in
the future, the proposed Title 9 by the Biden Administration is insane. I’m not
concentrating on it here. It is one of many, many, many reasons to defeat the
Democrats in the next election.
*P.S., for Trump haters who think Gaines avoided a kiss from
him on stage recently, she said: “In no way, shape, or form did I ‘dodge a
kiss’ from Trump nor was I uncomfortable on that stage with him at any point in
time,” Gaines wrote on an Instagram post Monday that included a
photo of her and Trump. “I slightly turned my head so I could hear what he was
saying to me. Proof that not everything you read is factual. But keep clutching
at straws, it’s almost comical.”
As Gaines said, I can't believe it either that I have to explain this. It's like having to explain that dirt is not a vegetable and you can't eat it just because you decide it is one.
Like the culture wars in the ‘60-80s, you never know
where this will come out. It seems as predictable as what video will go viral.
But, I do know which way leads to trouble and I feel like we are headed that
way. Really, in so many ways.
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