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Glossy well-illustrated history of women at the early olympics.
Women have had a tough time of it at the Olympics. There were actually women competitors at the second Modern Olympic Games in Paris in 1900, but women were not allowed into the athletics events - which have always been the mainstay of the programme - until 1928, and only then on a very limited scale. It was not until 1972 that the 1500 metres was recognised, and the marathon was not held until 1984 !
Added to all this, and despite there being a massive catalogue of books about the history of the Olympic movement,there has been very little written in detail about the experiences of women competitors at the Games. So this marvellous collection of first-hand reminiscences compiled by Stephanie Daniels and Anita Tedder is specially welcome. They have sought out more than 30 women Olympians from 10 different countries and dcumented their impressions. This is fascinating stuff - and all the more valuable because some of the ladies interviewed have since died and their revelations would otherwise have perhaps survived only in the fading memories of family and friends.
The 1928 Games in Amsterdam provide the most vivid stories, and it was a Dutch athlete named Wilhelmina Duchateau who told the tale of knitting her own orange woollen shorts. She cheerfully recalled for the authors 70 years later that "old gents said how outrageous it was - a woman in shorts !"
For anyone interested in an era of sports which was far different from the present commercialised age this book makes fascinating reading.
24 x 18 cms, softback, 164 pages.
2000
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