Celebrating female athletes

Published on BackPageLead. 

Ellyse Perry, Photo source: Sports Shoot / Delly Carr

While you flick through the pages of the sports section, or more appropriate to this day and age – smart phone or tablet, you will find that not to anyone’s surprise – male athletes and leagues dominate the news headlines.

But female athletes are just as important, successful, competitive and exciting. Though females are evidently overshadowed by males in the sporting media, they too deserve the spotlight.

But not just any spotlight, a positive one. Which is why the decision overnight to make Lauren Jackson the Australian flagbearer at these Games such an important one.

We’ve had the fuss this week about Leisel Jones, an Australian swimming icon. Media attention has not been about her excellence in the pool and her fourth straight appearance in an Olympics, but her weight.

When swimmer Geoff Huegill was targeted by media about his weight, it wasn’t made into a big deal, but now that the issue is of a female competitor, the news has been shoved from the back to the front page headlines all week.

It’s time for female athletes to be treated respectively in light of their sporting professions.

To give female athletes the coverage they deserve, let’s start by taking a look at some of the top Australian performers still competing today.

1. Lauren Jackson

Not only is she one of Australia’s best female athletes, Jackson could easily be named the best female basketballer in the world. A number one draft pick in 2001 and rightly so, she has been a winner of national championships in the US, Australian and Russia and she’s won three Olympic silver medals and one World Championship. Jackson has captained Australia’s Women’s national team, leading them to a World Championship in 2006. If there is any household name in women’s basketball, its Lauren’s. Her standing has been recognised by the AOC overnight with Lauren named as Australia’s flag bearer for London 2012.

2. Stephanie Gilmore

A five time world champion and only 24, need I say more? Stephanie is at the top of her game and is only just getting started. Surfing great Layne Beachley considers her to be surfing’s greatest and believes she can go on to equal male surfer Kelly Slater’s record of 11 world titles. Stephanie has a long and exciting career ahead of her.

3. Ellyse Perry

It’s not very often that you find an athlete that can play two sports professionally and who can make incredible impacts on both. Perry represented Australia in both cricket and soccer at only the young age of 16. She scored a goal on her debut as a Matilda against Hong Kong and continued her success with the bat and ball, playing as an all-rounder in tests, 50-over and Twenty20 matches for Australia. To play two sports at elite level shows Perry’s passion for sport and commitment to hard work.

4. Torah Bright

She turned pro at the age of 14 and there’s no better female with tricks up her sleeve to impress us all. Bright is the only woman in the world capable of performing a switch backside 720 in snowboarding – no matter what trick it is or how slippery the slopes – Bright dominates the pipes. She has won 3 gold medals and 2 silver – 4 of those X Games medal records.

5. Sam Stosur

Currently ranked World No. 5, Stosur won her first singles grand slam in 2011 – the US Open Women’s singles title. She was also a finalist in the 2010 French Open Women’s Singles. Stosur has also made her mark in doubles tennis achieving outstanding results – she was a former world no.1 on the WTA Tour in doubles, won the US Open title in 2005 and the French Open doubles title in 2006.

6. Sarah Walsh

Walsh has represented Australia numerous times; she has played for the Matilda’s at the 2004 Olympics, 2006 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Her goal tally for the Matilda’s has racked up to 29 goals. Walsh took her outstanding skills overseas, suiting up for three teams in the American Women’s Professional Soccer League in 2008 to 2009 – Pali Blues, Saint Louis Athletica and Sky Blue FC. Back at home she has represented Sydney FC for five years.

7. Sally Pearson

Pearson is the current world champion  for the 100 metre hurdles. At the 2008 Bejing Olympics Pearson won the silver medal but is a favourite to win the gold in London. Sally has won 8 medals in total, including a gold at the world championships in 2011 and gold at the commonwealth games in 2010. In 2011 she was awarded Female Athlete of the Year by the International Association of Athletics Federation.

8. Jessica Watson

At the age of 17 Watson became unofficially the youngest person to sail around the world in May 2010. Watson has been recognised with the “Spirit of Sport” award by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Watson’s bravery and courage demonstrates what passion and determination to achieve in sport is all about.

9. Anna Meares

Hailed as one of Australia’s greatest track cyclists, Meares has been twice champion of the 500m TT and a gold medallist at the Commonwealth and Olympic games to prove it. Meares received the Athlete of the Year award in 2007 and 2011 from the Australian Institute of Sport. Meares is a favourite for gold medals in the upcoming London Olympics after breaking the flying 200 metres World Record in qualification for individual sprint.

10. Leisel Jones

Jones began her Olympic dream at the age of 15. Jones was participant in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics; she won gold in the women’s medley relay at Athens and gold in 2008 Beijing Olympics for 100m breaststroke. Jones has been selected to represent Australia in London and will be the first Australian swimmer to compete at four Olympic Games. She is regarded by many sports fans and champions as one of the greatest breaststroke swimmers ever. With 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals and 14 FINA World Championship medals who can argue with that?

Let’s also not forget the incredible female athletes who have now retired but were stellar competitors in their competition days, paving the way for future athletes and leaving us with some of the greatest sporting memories and moments in history. The likes of Cathy Freeman, Liz Ellis, Dawn Fraser, Betty Cuthbert and Layne Beachley.

Women have contributed greatly to Australia’s sporting success. I hope we never forget those achievements.