– A bit of discrimination – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule

Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Karsten Warholm again celebrated great triumphs in the WC. At the same time, history was different for the women in Budapest. The only Norwegian woman who made it through the trial was hurdler Line Kloster (34). – Several women qualify for the WC, but it is thinner at the top, says sports manager Erlend Slokvik to news. The result in Budapest was for the women the weakest in a World Cup since 2003. Reacting to the focus on women – I think it is a bit of discrimination, as honest and generous as I dare to be, runner Kristine Eikrem Engeset answers to news when asked if it is better to focus on the men . The 34-year-old had to withdraw from the 5,000 meters in the World Championships due to a foot injury. TEN WOMEN: Eikrem Engeset (furthest away) was one of ten women selected for the WC. The number of women was an increase from earlier. Photo: ALEKSANDRA SZMIGIEL / Reuters Norway won five World Cup golds in the 80s and 90s. All were drawn by women. Now, no Norwegian women have won a medal in the context of the WC in 24 years. In the last decade, the women have also been far away, although some have asserted themselves in the EC. Women’s medals in athletics WC: 1983: Gold – Grete Waitz (marathon) 1987: Gold – Ingrid Kristiansen (10,000 metres) 1993: Gold – Trine Hattestad (javelin) 1997: Gold – Hanne Haugland (height) 1997: Gold – Trine Hattestad (javelin) ) 1999: Bronze – Trine Hattestad (javelin) Olympics: 1984: Silver – Grete Waitz (marathon) 1996: Bronze – Trine Hattestad (javelin) 2000: Gold – Trine Hattestad (javelin) 2000: Silver – Kjersti Tysse Plätzer (race walk) 2008 : Silver – Kjersti Tysse Plätzer (race walk) EC: 1969: Bronze – Berit Bertehlsen (long) 1974: Bronze – Grete Waitz (1500 metres) 1978: Bronze – Grete Waitz (3000 metres) 1982: Bronze – Ingrid Kristiansen (marathon) 1986 : Gold – Ingrid Kristiansen (10,000 metres) 1994: Bronze – Mette Bergmann (discus) 2006: Silver – Susanne Wigene (10,000 metres) 2012: Silver – Tonje Angelsen (height) 2012: Bronze – Margrethe Renstrøm (length) 2016: Bronze – Karoline Bjerkelig Grøvdal (10,000 meters) 2018: Bronze – Karoline Bjerkelig Grøvdal (3,000 meter hurdles) Source: Store norske lexikon – I know that for the boys, you give them the benefit of the doubt, while the girls always have to prove themselves a little. There will be more focus on the boys, Eikrem Engeset continued. She believes the Norwegian Athletics Federation is very selective with who they support. There are now five women against 17 men in the national team. On recruit and junior teams, this is fairly evenly distributed. – There are several examples of sending several boys to championships, but only sending a few girls. It has always been a bit like that in Norway, that the boys are more focused on. It seems that they are getting a handle on it now, that it will get better, says Eikrem Engeset. Setting requirements Sports manager Slokvik points out that they can only send athletes who have met the international requirements to a world championship. – There will be fewer in the WC squad when there are fewer who maintain a high level. When there are equal requirements for men and women, there will also be fewer girls on the national team. We make up for this with our own project with a certain form of follow-up for those who do not meet the requirements for a place in the national team, says Slokvik. DISAGREEMENT IN THE CRITICISM: Sports director Erlend Slokvik believes that several medals in the U23 EC show that there are positive signs on the women’s side. Photo: Anders Engeland But after last year’s EC in cross-country skiing, several women reacted. The board had then determined the performance requirements for the athletes. There are no absolute international requirements for the WC in street running this autumn. Then the Athletics Association lowers the list to include more women. – I would not say that the women are treated worse, says Slokvik. He points out, among other things, that they have a double-digit number of women in a women’s venture in middle and long-distance races. This includes, among other things, grants for the venture. Big difference Last autumn, an news review revealed a big difference in the number of women and men on national teams in the various Olympic sports. The differences increased markedly from recruit and junior teams to elite teams. FEELS DISCRIMINATED: Kristine Eikrem Engeset during her WC debut as an 18-year-old in 2007. It took 16 years before she would get the WC chance again. This time she was injured. Photo: Cornelius Poppe / NTB Eikrem Engeset faced adversity himself after winning silver in the U20 European Championship in 2007. – Since then, I have paid for everything myself. Now I am 34 years old and have managed to prove that I am good enough, she says. With a full-time job alongside persa ho with 40 seconds 5000 meters this year. – I don’t think people from the outside understand how tough it is to bet like this, says Eikrem Engeset, who is hoping for support to be able to bet 100 percent towards the EC and Olympics next year. – She will receive financial support at the level she has reached now, says Slokvik. He points out that today’s runner would receive support and follow-up with similar results to those she achieved as an 18-year-old. Explains drop-outs – We stop sooner, then, said Line Kloster in an interview with news this summer, when she explained why women win more medals at a young age, but then drop out. NORWAY’S BEST IN THE WC: Line Kloster knows there is little room for more than one player on the women’s side. She herself holds the Norwegian record in the practice 400 meter hurdles, where she competes with Amalie Iuel. Photo: Beate Oma Dahle / NTB A review shows that women and men take roughly the same number of medals in the EC and WC for juniors in the 2000s. In the U23 and senior championships, the differences increase. – I think it’s a mixture of us being a little less stupid than the boys, and thinking more about work and further life afterwards, Kloster pointed out.



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