Women's pole vaulting
Womens pole vaulting debuted in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney (an American, Stacy Dragila, won the gold). As more people are involved in extreme sports, pole vaulting has gained in popularity.
When I was in 9th grade, attending Benjamin Franklin Junior High School (renamed to Benjamin Franklin Middle School in 1986, go fig), I was on the track team for a while. "A while" because I was kicked off the team. "Why?" you may ask. Because I was in the drama club.
Kid you not.
I had made arrangement with the drama teacher to be absent from the play practices so that I could run track. Track was from 2:30 until about 4, drama was from 3 until 5. I could run track, then hightail it over to drama for any practice I needed.
The track coach, a one Miss Ann Davies, didn't think this was reasonable, and told me that, since I had a part in the spring play, I wasn't allowed to run in track. I couldn't do both. Earlier, I had actually asked said Miss Davies if I could learn to pole vault. Pole vaulting was taught at Ben Franklin, usually in the 7th grade, but new vaulters were taught each.
New male vaulters, that is.
Ann Davies informed me that she was not going to allow me to learn pole vaulting because it was a waste of time. There was no need to learn pole vaulting because girls didn't pole vault.
Ah, we see where this is going, eh?
I believe Ann Davies thought I was a nuisance, and used any available excuse to remove me from the team. I may have been a nuisance, asking for an opportunity to fly with the boys, but that choice allow me to pole vault or not wasn't hers to make.
And now we see women pole vaulters in the Olympics. I'm not one of them. To which I have but four words to say:
"Fuck you, Ann Davies."
If I meet you on the street, I will spit on you.