Women's Boxing in Olympics? Real Breasts Only Need Apply

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Women’s Boxing in Olympics? Real Breasts Only Need Apply

Filed on February 18th, 2009 in Boxing ⋅ ⋅

The International Amateur Boxing Association unanimously voted to approve women’s boxing for inclusion in the Summer Olympics, starting with the London 2012 games.

The International Olympic Committee will vote on women’s boxing’s inclusion in the Olympics when they meet in October.

Of the 26 sports in the Summer Olympics, boxing is the only federation that does not feature competition from women. In 2004, women’s wrestling was added to the games, leaving boxing alone as the only male-only sport.

In the Winter Olympics, only ski jumping does not include a women’s competition.

According to the USA Today:

AIBA has approved and governed women’s boxing since 1994, establishing its women’s committee a decade ago and holding world championship tournaments and regional events. Those tournaments would serve as Olympic qualifiers if the sport is put on the London program.

In related women’s boxing news, the Amateur Boxing Association of England told a female that she would not be able to compete due to her breast implants.

Sarah Blewden, a 25-year old model, was told that for safety reasons, she could not box with her 32C breast implants.

sarahblewden From ABCnews.com:

Dr. Julius Few, director of the Few Institute for plastic surgery in Chicago, said the rule against boxing and implants is “theoretical at best.” He has treated patients for injuries in both horseback riding and skiing and said, implants are “incredibly rugged.”

“In those contact sports, women have taken a fall and landed on their chest and the hit has not been a problem,” he told ABCNews.com. “The risk is greater if someone is in a car accident with a restraining seat belt.”

But, Few cautioned, “Most board certified experts would agree that it’s something that hasn’t been studied and it’s kind of an optional activity, better to err on the side of safety.”

Blewden got the implants in 2003 for her modeling career, but has since taken up amateur boxing. She is fighting for the use of a breast protector, similar to a cup that men wear to protect their testicles.

Doctors have argued that to this day, no breast protectors have been developed that have been deemed effective by medical experts.