# Gender Segregation and the Olympics **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 12, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719 "2018-02-12T20:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/121 "2018-02-15T00:22:58Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > There is also a “team event” in alpine skiing, but this is having men race against men and women race against women, and the results combined. This, or probably something along the lines of a cross country relay team, is probably as close to a mixed event as you are going to get in most sports. There are mixed team relays in biathlon (2 men, 2 women) and luge (1 man, 1 woman, 1 men’s double). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/122 "2018-02-15T01:34:51Z")
I’m sick of these strawman arguments! Give the strawwomen a chance! ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/123 "2018-02-15T04:03:58Z")
> [@g8rguy](#): > > My instinct is to agree with all of this. But as it’s not proven, apparently I am supposed to declare it false or something. Is that sarcasm? I don’t get it. All the stuff after “IMO” was just speculation on my part and can’t be proven to be true or false at this time. ---
**Author:** ![g8rguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@g8rguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/g8rguy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/124 "2018-02-15T04:16:12Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Is that sarcasm? I don’t get it. Yes. See post #111. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/125 "2018-02-15T04:34:14Z")
Ah, I see, LOL. I can’t prove I will ever drink coffee again, therefore the claim is false and I’ll never drink coffee again ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/126 "2018-02-16T08:47:29Z")
I noticed something strange during a couple of the hockey games. The women have helmets with full masks that extend all the way down below their chins. The men have helmets with a plastic visor in front of their eyes, but the lower half of the face is wide open. I don’t know if that’s mandated in the rules or just the choice of the teams I happened to watch, but I’ve seen a couple guys take shots to the mouth or nose already. I don’t know if that’s sexism, exactly, but it seemed a little odd. ---
**Author:** ![NorthernStar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c77e96/32.png) [@NorthernStar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NorthernStar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/127 "2018-02-17T02:53:23Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I noticed something strange during a couple of the hockey games. The women have helmets with full masks that extend all the way down below their chins. The men have helmets with a plastic visor in front of their eyes, but the lower half of the face is wide open. I don’t know if that’s mandated in the rules or just the choice of the teams I happened to watch, but I’ve seen a couple guys take shots to the mouth or nose already. Full face masks for women are, in fact, [required under the international rules](http://www.iihf.com/de/channels10/olympics-2010/home/women/rules/). There is no corresponding requirement for pro male adult players. Also, bodychecks are illegal in women’s hockey. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I don’t know if that’s sexism, exactly, but it seemed a little odd. The reasoning I have heard is that women’s hockey is still considered a developing sport in need of increasing its participation numbers. Many parents would probably decline to let their daughters play hockey if there was a non-trivial risk of disfiguring injuries. I agree there does seem to exist a certain cultural double standard in this aspect. The injury reduction benefits from full face protection would obviously apply to men as well and it [may become mandatory at some point as a response to injuries](https://www.nhl.com/news/after-hamhuis-injury-and-others-are-full-face-shields-in-nhls-distant-future/c-793047). Then again, hockey has always had a reputation of being a tough and manly sport (the USSR even had a [well-known sports song](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Coward_Plays_Hockey) about cowards not belonging in hockey), which is another incentive for pro players to go without one rather than compromise their vision wearing a full mask or cage. There was quite a bit of controversy back in the day when goaltender masks started becoming popular as it was seen as an indication of lack of bravery. Even the modern visors have only become mandatory for men in the recent decades and are still optional (though heavily encouraged and used by some 95% of players) in the NHL. ---
**Author:** ![Stonebow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Stonebow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stonebow)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/128 "2018-02-19T19:36:24Z")
Is it just me, or does this entire discussion remind everyone of “The Bell Curve” and the ruckus surrounding that? Yes, if you use a single metric test, there are significant differences between people of different (insert: race, gender, etc.) due to biology, social, cultural reasons. This is not a controversial statement. It’s the inevitable followup that is the issue: Therefore, there is no use in taking remedial steps to ensure that outcomes are more equitable through (insert: Affirmative Action, Title IX, Separate competition leagues). We’ve found a pretty good solution in the instant case, so I am wondering what problem the OP is trying to solve. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/129 "2018-02-20T03:59:04Z")
> [@Stonebow](#): > > Is it just me, or does this entire discussion remind everyone of “The Bell Curve” and the ruckus surrounding that? > Yes, if you use a single metric test, there are significant differences between people of different (insert: race, gender, etc.) due to biology, social, cultural reasons. > This is not a controversial statement. (ETA: sorry I missed that you did say social and cultural. Note that this is not what BC stated) Well there are far more problems with the Bell Curve’s reasoning and methodology than just that. It was a ruckus because many people liked the message rather than it being scientifically sound. For me the biggest is that IQs aren’t static: they’re steadily increasing, and countries that score worst are actually increasing the fastest. They’re catching up. This is very hard to square with the idea that IQ tests accurately measure some innate characteristic, and that we can reliably infer that some responsible genotype is more prevelant in group A than group B. I’ve heard a lot of Sam Harris and Charles Murray talking on this subject but I have yet to hear what the response to that is. There are other issues like the fact that basically all of the cited research was funded by the same white-supremicist-linked organization, but I dare say there have probably been many threads on this topic, so I won’t hijack. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719/130 "2018-02-20T05:15:48Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > …I watched a bit of mixed curling… > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > …the timing might be about right for sports events to go gender-neutral too. I think your first error was conflating curling with a sport [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-segregation-and-the-olympics/808719.md?page=6)