Aproximación histórica a los inicios del boxeo femenino y las circunstancias del surgimiento del deporte olímpico de las mujeres = Historical approach to the beginnings of women's boxing and the circumstances of the appearance of women's Olympic sport

Abstract

El inicio del boxeo femenino y su primer combate dentro de los eventos que constituyeron los Juegos de San Luis de 1904 se produjo a pesar de no contar con el beneplacito ni de Coubertin ni de otros sectores sociales medicos, que argumentaban los problemas de salud que los esfuerzos fisicos excesivos podian implicar para las mujeres. Por otra parte, ciertos sectores del “cuarto poder” que ya comenzaba a ser la prensa, encontraban en las competiciones deportivas femeninas una fuente de titulares expuestos como esperpenticos para conseguir aumentar sus lectores. Era una oportunidad de ridiculizar y utilizar de mofa a las pocas deportistas que osaban iniciarse. Aquellos aspectos, al igual que los condicionantes relativos al rol social de las mujeres, determinaron un posicionamiento del Comite Olimpico Internacional que se prolongo durante un siglo, influyendo decisivamente en la incorporacion tan tardia que la practica del boxeo femenino ha experimentado en las estructuras deportivas. La evolucion de los criterios del Movimiento Olimpico actual, al respecto del deporte de las mujeres ha sido definitiva a partir de la labor de Juan Antonio Samaranch. Abstract The beginning of feminine boxing and its first combat within the events that constituted the 1904 San Luis Games took place in spite of not having the approval of either Coubertin or other medical social sectors, who argued the health problems that excessive physical efforts could imply for women. On the other hand, certain sectors of the "fourth estate", which was already beginning to be the press, found in women's sports competitions a source of headlines that were exposed as bizarre in order to increase their readership. It was an opportunity to ridicule and make fun of the few athletes who dared to start. Those aspects, as well as the conditioning factors related to the social role of women, determined a position of the International Olympic Committee that lasted for a century, decisively influencing the late incorporation of the practice of female boxing into sports structures. The evolution of the criteria of the current Olympic Movement, with respect to women's sport, has been definitive since the work of Juan Antonio Samaranch.