Linford Christie's reaction

[Mankyfoot]

C'mon Linford

They watch it to be entertained.

Yes, but blatantly unfair competition is not entertaining. Especially when it risks the weaker competitors getting hurt.

That’s true but it didn’t stop spectators cheering Fallon Fox

As soon as one team in a womens league or division has a male player, a kind of arms race will start. The other competing teams will be disadvantaged and so will have no choice, if they want to win, but to go out looking for their own TW.

It's like Gresham's Law in economics, where bad (criminal) money chases out good money, because good money cannot compete on the same terms.

My daughter and son both rowed. They were both very good, having similar body shapes, tall and well built, with very good technical skills, coordination and timing. Their styles were very similar.
My daughter is 5’11, 70-75 kg. My son is 6’4, 90-95 kg. Guess who was faster?

The issue of Christie and the lunch box comments is interesting. On the Grayson Perry thread some posters say they object to being roped into Perry's fetish.

I don't have that reaction to Perry but it mirrors what I felt about Christie- I felt I was being roped into looking at his genitals. His contemporaries were not wearing this type of short. I thought it was very blatant, deliberate and unnecessary.

As for his objecting to being objectified it didn't stop him getting involved in a Kleenex ad ("Linford's got a little packet") or the Sloggi ads.

He doesn't seem to be a very nice man- 8 children by 4 different mothers. Christie gets older but the women are replaced with younger models. One of the women alleges that he ignored and failed to support 2 of the children.

I don't care if LC is nice or not. He was a brilliant competitor. Part of the generation of sports people I grew up loving. Sharron Davies (married three times I believe and also not very nice), Martina Navratilova, etc
They're all saying WTF. Thank God

I mean, was he not found to be a drugs cheat?

Yes he was.

Has he said anything beyond "wtf"?

It's not much is It? I didn't know much about him but a little bit of googling didn't suggest he would be much of a feminist ally.

How can a drug cheat be a brilliant competitor? Puzzled.

"How can a drug cheat be a brilliant competitor? Puzzled."

A lot of hypocrisy isn't there?
I cycled and lost against drug cheats, but I wasn't great and wouldn't have won anything on he World stage, so wasn't that bothered, but I didn't respect them.
The question of male bodied athletes competing against men is very interesting, because even today, my times on a few courses in the UK, set in the early 80's have never been beaten by current Olympic and World record holding women, despite all the advances in aero equipment, diet and the all important - MARGINAL GAINS!

"I don't have that reaction to Perry but it mirrors what I felt about Christie- I felt I was being roped into looking at his genitals. His contemporaries were not wearing this type of short. I thought it was very blatant, deliberate and unnecessary. "

This is the 1992 100m final:

i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Sport/Pix/columnists/2012/6/5/1338892950265/linford-christies-gold-19-008.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=b3de6e69783eaa6fa7926c7921990d10

Christie has tight shorts on.

2016

english.cdn.zeenews.com/sites/default/files/2016/08/15/519472-bolt.gif

EVERYONE has tight shorts on.

If you are running at up to 28mph, then it is correct to wear tight shorts, and the baggier shorts seen by the other competitors in 1992 are simply wrong, and will slow them down due to drag.

All cyclists wear these shorts.

www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-johnson-smith/smith-true-winner-of-dirtiest-race-in-history-idUSBRE98M0PT20130923

The only person wearing them is Christie.

Here is Chris Hoy. You can't see his genitals.

The Perry thread made me think about this. Perry might not be only man with a fetish

www.google.co.uk/search?q=olympic+cyclist+chris+hoy&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjJ0dSK-_3gAhUL3BoKHZ7vC3oQ2-cCegQIABAB&oq=olympic+cyclist+chris+hoy&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.3...58419.66616..67531...10.0..0.87.1126.16......0....1.........0j0i67j0i24j30i10j33i10.XrYRdzCH-0o&ei=O1yIXInIB4u4a57fr9AH&bih=512&biw=360&prmd=inv#imgrc=Rueq_JAD6NuVwM

"The only person wearing them is Christie."

Yes but now everyone wears them.

It is of course possible for male athletes to be exhibitionists, but as a starting principle athletic clothing should be as tight as possible.

There was no evidence at the time he was competing that lc was a cheat. After he retired and had moved on to a media career (presenting record breakers! ) he was caught using something at a race he was just doing for fun as far as I can remember. He then left record breakers...

The period is generally thought of as dodgy to the point that authorities have considered wiping all records between certain dates. But there's no evidence he cheated at the time, and I choose to believe that. Those gb medals were few and far between in those days!

Also I think his clothing choice was just ahead of its time. A real stretch to suggest pervy motives. Lycra wasn't as good then. Technical fabrics have really developed.

I agree I don't think he's likely to be a great ally in this though.

So we’re shaming him for his athletic clothing choices now? We were being roped into looking at his genitals? Yeah, you know what happens when we say shit like that about women’s clothing choices? Can you imagine the uproar if a male school teacher said something like that about female students?
We tell the leering twats and slut-shamers who say she’s an attention seeking exhibitionist who’s asking for it to fuck off and that she can wear low cut or clinging tops and short skirts if she wants to, no one else’s fucking business. Bloody double standards around here never fail to disappoint.

Manderleyagain

"Lycra wasn't as good then. Technical fabrics have really developed."

I first used a lycra skinsuit for cycle racing in 1982, and by 1984, practically all track and road time trial cyclists were using them, they made a huge amount of difference. Although the fabrics have improved, the difference between an original skinsuit and standard shorts and jersey was very noticeable IMO.

LC's clothing choices, love life, and, frankly, his drug ban (which happened right at the end of his career) have fuck all to do with the subject at hand - his expertise as an elite level athlete and the trainer of elite level athletes, and his sure knowledge that male bodied people in female sport is completely unfair to all girls and women.