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No
jelly jokes, please, by Peter FitzSimons - 24th August
2004
(Credit:
The Age)
We are the women wrestlers, and we've already heard
all your jokes, okay? And you better believe we're
over them. We know you misogynist mongrels and raggedy
rednecks equate female wrestling with mud and jelly
wrestling; we've heard your sniggering about our lack
of ability to go for the "Christmas grip",
your snide remarks about the so-called "World
Championship" female wrestlers you prefer, and
here's your last warning: Enough Already. From this
point on, we better be hearing a bit of respect, see,
for we are now Olympians.
And
they are, too. Despite the fact that Greco-Roman wrestling
has, as you might imagine, been going on in these
parts since Socrates first pinned Plato to the mat
with a good'un, this time there really is something
new under the Mediterranean sun.
In
a land where there were no women competitors at the
ancient Olympic Games, and no female spectators, it
has now moved to the point where Athens has the honour
of becoming the first Olympic Games to welcome women
to the wrestling ring of rings.
Although
the female version of the sport is still in its relative
competitive infancy - in that wrestling strong-house
of America, for example, there are some 3200 female
wrestlers against 250,000 males - the standard of
competition here is very good.
To
judge by the nationalities appearing in these early
rounds of the lower weight divisions, it is clear
that the strongest countries are from North America,
Northern Europe and Asia, with a smattering of representatives
from elsewhere - although you can just about count
on one finger how many Grecos or Romans are competing
this morning. (Australia does not yet have a contestant
in the female class, and has just one male competitor
good enough to compete internationally.)
The
sport has two rounds of three minutes each, with the
referee awarding points for the degree of control
one wrestler exerts over the other, although the match
is over if one wrestler pins the other's shoulderblades
to the mat.
But
quiet now. Let's watch as, in the semi-finals of the
under-55kg division, Ida- Theres Karlsson of Sweden
takes on Tonya Verbeek of Canada. Karlsson is the
blonde with the small tattoo on her shoulder, Verbeek
the one with two ponytails, who looks like she means
murder.
After
the quick handshake, the referee blows his whistle
and the two start pushing each other in the shoulders,
looking for the right moment to get to grips. Now!
Their heads come together, they hold and now, as they
grapple, each is trying to get the other even slightly
off-balance so they can try a throw.
As
the crowd of some 4000 chants, it is the Canadian
who gets the Swede down first, and positions her so
she can't get up, still without being able to get
her shoulders near the mat. One point is awarded.
Start
again, and Karlsson soon returns the favour - 1-1.
Although
evenly matched for most of the bout, with just 40
seconds to go, and the possibility of extra time looming,
the Canadian wraps herself around the Swede like ivy,
and it is surprising that Karlsson can even breathe,
let alone move a muscle. Whistle. Two points awarded
- 3-1 to the Canadian. Final siren. Bout over.
The
two rise, shake hands, shake with the ref, and then
he lifts Verbeek's hand high in victory. She is now
through, with a chance for an Olympic gold. And that
will help shut up the knockers at home.
And
so it goes. Olympic female wrestling. Long may they
grip, grapple and prosper.
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