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Katherine Switzer, first registered woman to complete the Boston Marathon, with her fellow runners interfering with an official's attempt to remove her bib number, USA, 1967 (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by PugJesus@lemmy.world to c/historyporn@lemmy.world

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Athlete solidarity, you love to see it

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[–] cabbage@piefed.social 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Took for the unjust rule to be adjusted for him to change his position though.

I guess it's a powerful example that even bootlickers can be good people if you give them the right boots to lick.

[–] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Reading his Wikipedia article gives the impression that he is somewhat special.

However, looking on the cite of the director of BAA, Will Cloney, in the Wikipedia article on Switzer, made me feel glad I didn't have breakfast yet:

Boston Athletic Association director Will Cloney—who had rejected Bobbi Gibb's entry into the 1966 Boston Marathon giving as his reason his claim that women could not run that far—was asked his opinion of Switzer competing in the race. Although Gibb had completed the marathon the previous year with a good time, the race rule book made no mention of gender, and Switzer had a valid race registration, Cloney said: "Women can't run in the Marathon because the rules forbid it. Unless we have rules, society will be in chaos. I don't make the rules, but I try to carry them out. We have no space in the Marathon for any unauthorized person, even a man. If that girl were my daughter, I would spank her."