Nov 25 2010

Girls on top Posted 1 years 175 days ago ago by sooz     0 Comments

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There are a limited number of women in motorsport, and these women are not setting the world on fire with their results; why is that the case?

A numbers game

Quite simply the percentage figures stack up against us. If 50 percent of racers were female then no doubt we would see regular podiums and wins with women competing on the world stage. The growth in the number of female road riders should give us a large captive market to encourage.

Competitive edge

Could it be that women do not have the competitive “do or die” drive to win when racing against men? Does this dissuade women from competing in the first place? With an all-girl field would this negative aspect be reduced? I believe so. I am keen to instigate psychological studies to investigate the performance of top sports women versus men.

Strength

It is a common misconception that the natural difference in physical strength between the sexes will prevent women from matching or surpassing men in the sport. Although men are naturally stronger, is it perfectly possible for an athletic woman to achieve adequate strength with dedication and application as recognised in other major sports. Also technical advances mean that modern motorcycles are becoming smaller and lighter.

The youth factor

To find a female Valentino Rossi we need to encourage young girls into the sport. The more traditional sport for young girls is, of course, horse riding which can be as costly as and more hazardous to health than bike racing. Parents will traditionally have a greater protective nature towards their girls than boys, however horse riding is seen as a far more accepted sport. This may be due to the dated “outlaw” image of biking, the road accident rates, and perhaps the amount of Lycra and female flesh used to promote the sport does not help.

Money, money, money

The average earnings of women has traditionally been lower than men, and although this situation is equalising, the number of women with sufficient disposable income is still significantly lower. Fact: racing costs money.

This is just one person's opinion of course, your views are very welcome.

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