John Inverdale, for example ...

[Wuldric]

Women get judged by how they look rather than by how they perform. This comment by John Inverdale has me seething. How is it even remotely acceptable in this day and age?

[WoTmania]

FFS! 1) That's a completely unacceptable comment. She's a sportswoman it's not even as if she's in a field where adherence to a certain look is important.
2) She's not ugly. She's a perfectly normal looking woman. Talk about raising the bar to unattainable levels....

[LittleAbruzzenBear]

Just done the BBC online complaint form. Very quick to complete actually.

[comoestas]

It must be hard for Marion, when the winner of the men's is clearly an oil painting. Maybe John could even out the universe by explaining how Andy Murray overcame the handicap of his face.

[Xenia]

It is blatantly sexist and rude.

[LittleAbruzzenBear]

Well said comoestas

[LittleAbruzzenBear]

We need role models like Marion for young girls to aspire to and this neanderthal ends up giving young girls body issues. His (and other men's) comments could put girls off sports. Athletes come in all shapes and sizes.

[Steamedcabbage]

I think he should be sacked for what he said.

[rhetorician]

Yeah, he's a twat. Allegedly she has an IQ of 175 and she's Wimbledon champion, so he should just sling his hook

[LittleAbruzzenBear]

Men like him like 'athletes' like Kournikova, blonde, FHM-posing and pouting because they definitely do not have the athletic skills of Marion or Venus so they have to get noticed in other ways.

[edam]

Great response from Bartoli, about having dreamed of winning Wimbledon, not a modelling contract.

YY re. Andy Murray not being Brad Pitt - yet Inverdale didn't feel moved to comment on his looks.

Sickening Twitter comments captured by EverydaySexism. So depressing.

I doubt the BBC will do much to Inverdale, men who make sexist comments get away with it every time on the Beeb, while racist comments are taken far more seriously. Ceri whathisface, the editor of the Today programme, said women weren't good enough to present his show yet kept his job (and tried to justify it by saying there weren't any senior women - as if women had only been allowed into journalism five minutes ago).

[amothersplaceisinthewrong]

Well, while I agree JI should not make such comments in public, I have to say that I think Bartoli is very plain and on the fat side.

[TheDoctrineOfAllan]

Why do you have to say that, amothersplace?

[TheDoctrineOfAllan]

It's extra weird because i think there's been very few super good looking folks who are tennis champions. Most are "normal" and those who could also plausibly model (Sharapova and, erm...) are few and far between. Yet JI's comments seemed to make talent secondary to looks.

[WoTmania]

amothersplace, what was the point of that comment?
She wouldn't be a top class athlete if she was 'fat', it's like the person who said that Jessica Ennis was fat .

[FannyMcNally]

As Allan said, why do you HAVE to say it? And on a public forum. You're just as bad as Inverdale! Even if it was true, does it have any relevance to playing tennis?

[Ravenglass]

What a stupid bloody comment from Inverdale, wha the hell does how she look have to do with her ability to play tennis.

She's playing tennis and has made the choice to focus on that and not wear makeup, and if she had decided to wear makeup when she was playing, again, that wouldn't make her any less of a good tennis player.

You only have to look at this and this photo to realise that she's an attractive woman. But I really don't see why the hell she can't be rated just on her ability not on her looks, you don't hear comments being made in the same way about how Andy Murray looks.

[tribpot]

I have pointed out the Beeb did some good work exposing sexism in sport through the Gabby Logan documentary yet appears to condone it within its own staff.

Load of bollocks. Sue Barker should give him what for.

[Wuldric]

i am just imagining today's commentary from John Inverdale


"I just wonder if his Mum, because she has obviously been the most influential person in his life, did say to him when he was 12, 13, 14 maybe, 'listen, you are never going to be a looker.'"

Did that commentary ever happen? I guess not

John Inverdale, you are a sexist twat of the first order. Your pathetic apology, designed to minimise your offence by attempting to mislead people that you were talking about Bartoli's physique (as if that were even relevant) as opposed to her looks is utterly seen through. You are a sad sad man.

I do not want to employ you any more. If you were employed in my firm, I would ensure you were dismissed for gross misconduct. Only problem is, I am a humble license payer, not your employer. So I have to watch while my fucking license money is squandered on promoting sexism.

John inverdale, you are a disgrace.

But worse still is the BBC. Taking my money to promote sexism. Way to go.

[Darkesteyes]

amothersplaceisinthewrong Do go back to reading Closer magazine theres a dear.

[Darkesteyes]

twitter.com/ByJoeFleming/status/354014572811780097/photo/1

[CambridgeBlue]

I saw those comments on Twitter on Saturday when someone retweeted them and they thoroughly depressed me - how can people be so cruel?

I remember posting something similar during the Olympics last year when people were slagging off the gymnast Beth Tweddle for not fitting the mould they thought female athletes should. I was so sad that her achievement should be overshadowed by such nastiness and it's the same for Bartoli. Hopefully she's able to see past it if her comments are anything to go by but it must hurt.

[Willo62]

Come on now, let's be sensible. John is one of the better sports commentators and generally quite fair. This young lady has achieved a wonderful victory in her chosen sport but she isn't a looker as he quite rightly points out. But then again John is a bit of a beast himself...

[scallopsrgreat]

Well that's where we are going wrong, everybody. We just aren't being sensible. Thank god for the voice of reason. We can all stop worrying now.

[slug]

Amothersplace, as someone who has (briefly) played sport at an international level, can I just point out that female athletes rarely resemble models. That is because, in order to perform at the highest levels, you need muscle and some energy reserves.

To be a fashion model you need to have as little fat as possible and, preferably, no visible muscles. I suggest that if you think a woman who regularly performs highly on the international stage is "fat" then the problem is with your perception of normality rather than any tennis player's body.

[KarlosKKrinkelbeim]

As someone who believes that sport in all its forms was only invented to give stupid people something to do, I am not surprised at these comments, but nevertheless I take exception at being required to fund the salary of the gobshite who makes them.
Sack him. it's a no brainer.