6 JUNE 2018 • 1:01AM
[FONT="][FONT="]T[/FONT]he yawning chasm between the worlds of men and women’s sport was vividly illustrated on Tuesday when Forbes, the US business magazine, published its annual list of the 100 highest earning sportspeople – and not one female featured on it.
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[FONT="]It is the first time it has been entirely populated by men since Forbes began compiling an extended list eight years ago and the news was greeted with dismay by leading British sportswomen, with Jo Pavey, the former European 10,000 metres champion describing the all-male rankings as “sad and disappointing”.
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[FONT="]Serena Williams was the only female athlete to make the top 100 last year, but she missed almost an entire 12 months of action, during which she gave birth to her daughter Alexis.
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[FONT="]The 23-time grand-slam champion still banked an estimated $18 million through sponsorship while she took a break from competitive action, but that was not enough to make the top 100.
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[FONT="]Fellow tennis player Maria Sharapova was displaced from the top 100 standings last year after a drug suspension and has not regained her place this time
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[FONT="]It is the first time it has been entirely populated by men since Forbes began compiling an extended list eight years ago and the news was greeted with dismay by leading British sportswomen, with Jo Pavey, the former European 10,000 metres champion describing the all-male rankings as “sad and disappointing”.
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[FONT="]Serena Williams was the only female athlete to make the top 100 last year, but she missed almost an entire 12 months of action, during which she gave birth to her daughter Alexis.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The 23-time grand-slam champion still banked an estimated $18 million through sponsorship while she took a break from competitive action, but that was not enough to make the top 100.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Fellow tennis player Maria Sharapova was displaced from the top 100 standings last year after a drug suspension and has not regained her place this time
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[FONT="]There has always been at least one woman – and as many as three in some years – in the list since it was expanded to include at least 50 names in 2010.
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[FONT="]That is not the case this year, with the damning indictment of the disparity between male and female sport worldwide sparking a furious backlash online and frustration among leading female sportswomen.
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[FONT="]“It’s sad and disappointing and shows there’s still work to do,” said Pavey. “There are so many people putting in hard work like the Women’s Sport Trust to really put women’s sport where it should be in the public realm.
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[FONT="]“There have been improvements with the way women’s sport is shown on TV, but clearly not enough. When it’s not shown enough it gives the perception that people aren’t interested and that means sponsors aren’t attracted. That then means people don’t get the opportunity to enjoy it.
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[FONT="]“There are some brilliant female role models out there and we should really give them the chance to shine.”[/FONT]
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[FONT="]“It’s sad and disappointing and shows there’s still work to do,” said Pavey. “There are so many people putting in hard work like the Women’s Sport Trust to really put women’s sport where it should be in the public realm.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]“There have been improvements with the way women’s sport is shown on TV, but clearly not enough. When it’s not shown enough it gives the perception that people aren’t interested and that means sponsors aren’t attracted. That then means people don’t get the opportunity to enjoy it.
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[FONT="]“There are some brilliant female role models out there and we should really give them the chance to shine.”[/FONT]
