The number of mixed-gender competitions is gradually increasing, and the gender ratio of participants is becoming more balanced——
Why is "male and female matching" popular in international competitions?
From January 19th to February 1st, Beijing time, the 4th Winter Youth Olympic Games was held in Gangwon Province, South Korea. As the competition continues, mixed gender competition has become a highlight of this Winter Youth Olympic Games. It is reported that this year’s competition has set up mixed-gender teams for Nordic combined, cross-country skiing, short track speed skating, biathlon, ski jumping, alpine skiing and freestyle skiing. For example, the Chinese team cooperated tacitly in the short track speed skating mixed team relay and finally won the gold medal.
In recent years, due to various factors such as promoting gender equality among athletes, improving competitive levels, and increasing the enjoyment of events, there has been a gradual increase in mixed-gender competitions and events in international competitions. With the leading role of Olympic events, mixed-gender events are gradually expanding to more international sports competition stages.
Mixed projects are gradually increasing
Racquet sports that compete across the net are more suitable for men and women to match, and it is also the first international competition event with mixed gender (mixed doubles). As early as the 1970s and 1980s, mixed doubles competitions have appeared in badminton, tennis and table tennis.
However, badminton, tennis and table tennis, mixed doubles rules are different. For example, table tennis mixed doubles requires one player and one board, and there are strict round restrictions. Badminton, which became an official Olympic sport in 1992, ushered in mixed doubles for the first time at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. At the 2012 London Olympics, mixed doubles in tennis returned to the Olympics after many years.
Among the new events added to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the number of mixed events for men and women has been significantly increased. In addition to table tennis mixed doubles, which has attracted the attention of Chinese audiences, the added mixed events include 4×100m men’s and women’s medley relay, mixed archery team, track and field 4×400m mixed relay, judo mixed team event, and triathlon mixed team relay. wait. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, there will be a total of 9 mixed events for men and women, 4 of which are new events.
The reporter learned that at this year's Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee continued to "make a fuss" about mixed events for men and women. As a new event, the marathon race walking mixed relay event for men and women has become another Olympic track and field event for both men and women after the 4×400-meter mixed relay.
There's a reason why he's becoming more popular
Due to the inherent difference in physical strength between men and women, it has always been a tradition in the sports world for male and female athletes to compete separately on the field. So why have there been an increasing trend in male-female matching projects in international competitions in recent years?
The reporter learned that promoting gender equality is the most direct reason. Eliminating gender differences, creating participation opportunities for female athletes, and ultimately achieving equal participation opportunities for men and women has always been the goal of the International Olympic Committee and some other individual sports organizations. In this regard, International Olympic Committee Sports Director Kate McConnell once said that changing some men's events to mixed events or creating separate mixed events "increases the opportunities for female athletes to participate and helps achieve the goal of achieving success on the field." equality between men and women.”
Data shows that the proportion of female athletes among Olympic participants has continued to increase in recent years, rising from 26.1% in the 1988 Seoul Olympics to 48.8% in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the upcoming Paris Olympics, this ratio will reach 50% for the first time, achieving complete equality in the number of male and female participants.
According to industry insiders, mixed events for men and women will help improve the technical level of players. In this regard, World Swimming Federation President Musallam once said about the addition of men's and women's medley: "Due to the different technical characteristics of male and female athletes, they can learn from each other during training and competition, thereby improving their technical level."
Improving the viewing experience and increasing the suspense of the game is another reason to promote the increase of mixed events for men and women. In this regard, International Olympic Committee President Bach said frankly that mixed events for men and women will test the mental state and competitive state of athletes more. "The competition has more to watch, and the audience wants more suspense."
What surprised the audience was that in recent years, synchronized swimming, known as "water ballet", has also begun to accept male athletes. In 2014, mixed male and female events were added to international synchronized swimming competitions for the first time. It is reported that at this year's Paris Olympics, male athletes were allowed to participate in the Olympic team competition for the first time. Each team can have up to 2 male athletes out of 8 athletes.
Explore the rules and meet the challenges
Industry insiders believe that the increase in mixed-gender events in international competitions has provided the Chinese team with new opportunities, but has also brought with it a corresponding increase in challenges. For this reason, the Chinese sports community must make early plans and respond effectively.
According to Wang Lian, the leader of the Chinese shooting team, the national team has not yet established a head coach for mixed events. The male and female team members are still responsible for their respective coaches, but there will be dedicated time in the usual schedule for paired training. "In a mixed match, two people have to play at the same time. How to adjust the rhythm of both sides is very important. Regarding the rules of mixed team matches, both the Chinese team and the world's top players are still in the process of exploring."
Some mixed events test the mental quality of athletes even more. Butterfly swimming star Zhang Yufei understands this very well. She said that the medley competition is more exciting. "In the individual competition, you just have to swim your own swim, and the psychological fluctuations are relatively small. The medley swimming, especially in the headwind situation, tests the psychological quality." The formation in the medley also tested the coach. Depending on the opponents on the field and the athletes themselves, coaches may adopt different tactical arrangements such as "male and female," "male and female," and "male and female," etc.
Li Jian, a professor at the Capital Institute of Physical Education, believes that the increasing number of mixed events for men and women has inspired the Chinese team to pay attention to the matching of men and women during daily training, promote mutual learning, and make early plans for event adjustments. "For example, the new mixed-gender competition events at this Winter Youth Olympics are likely to appear on the stage of future Winter Olympics. Early planning and deployment must be made so that male and female athletes in these events can find a tacit understanding in advance." (Worker Daily) Reporter Liu Bing)