# In which sports do men and women compete equally?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-sports-do-men-and-women-compete-equally/509062>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [September 6, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-sports-do-men-and-women-compete-equally/509062 "2009-09-06T15:21:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-sports-do-men-and-women-compete-equally/509062/62 "2010-02-20T20:49:56Z")

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> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> Where? It’s separate in America, but I don’t know about other countries.

[http://www.contracostatimes.com/sports/ci\_14259488?source=rss](http://www.contracostatimes.com/sports/ci_14259488?source=rss) It is not separate in America any more. I believe Kulik won the Tournament of Champions this year.the biggest tournament on the tour.

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**Author:** ![SteveKS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SteveKS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveKS)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-sports-do-men-and-women-compete-equally/509062/63 "2010-02-21T04:52:07Z")

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> [@Oakminster](#):
>
> As a one time event, Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in tennis:
> 
> [The Battle of the Sexes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_the_Sexes_(tennis))

That match was indeed a study in money-making by manipulating public emotions. Most people don’t recall that in his 50’s, Bobby Riggs routinely challenged the women’s champion to such a match, and he routinely won. (He beat Margaret Court the year before, for example.) Billy Jean King’s winning was news-worthy, because it was sort of like “Man Bites Dog.” Also, Riggs got everyone into a lather with his sexist rantings leading up to the match. $$$$$$

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**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-sports-do-men-and-women-compete-equally/509062/64 "2010-02-21T05:22:21Z")

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> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> Some drivers are not happy that Danica Patrick gets a break since she only weighs around 100 lbs, men average about 150 in the IRL. That 50 lbs can make a difference since the cars don’t weigh that much.

They were rightly unhappy because that was a clear advantage. IRL came to its senses and started weighing the cars as raced (with driver inside) a couple years ago so that hasn’t been an issue for a while now. It’s noteworthy and proper karma that Danica had more success after she lost the weight advantage.

NASCAR has weighed the cars as raced (with driver) for a long time, so no unfair advantage in her transition to stock cars this year.

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