Inverdale presented the ugly face of sexism when he said Bartoli is 'never going to be a looker Let's cut straight to it, shall we. Do you think Marion Bartoli, Wimbledon champion, is hot or not? Never mind the fact this wonderfully quirky, incredibly determined athlete has just shadow-boxed, skipped and double-handedly hit her way to Grand Slam glory. Is she a looker'? That was the question John Inverdale, a man who looks increasingly like a sagging British bulldog in chinos and whose shirt collars are longer than his neck, chose to pose on BBC Radio 5 Live in the aftermath of Bartoli's straight-sets demolition of Sabine Lisicki. Talk about priorities. Do you think Bartoli's dad told her when she was little you're never going to be a looker?' probed the self-styled oil painting, forcing the BBC into an apology and Inverdale to curl up into an even smaller ball — if, indeed, that is physically possible. He apologised on-air on Sunday for his clumsy' phraseology and has written to Bartoli, too.
The Frenchwoman responded with intelligence and grace, suggesting if Inverdale saw her dolled up on Sunday's Champions' Ball he could change his mind', but his comments remain shockingly crass, insensitive and unacceptable from an experienced broadcaster. It was, though, the patronising tone and the automatic assumption of a divine right squadron blue 13s to cast judgment on Bartoli's appearance that was particularly irksome. Who does Inverdale think he is? Some kind of Simon Cowell Svengali figure for sports stars? Ignore the duo's shared penchant for dodgy hair, orange skin and high trousers and Inverdale's comments sound a bit rich, to say the least. A face for radio, and all that. Oh but forgive me. I've cast aspersions on the way Inverdale looks and not on his proficiency as a broadcaster. How crushingly insensitive of me. Imagine having to put up with that every time you walk on to a tennis court in front of a worldwide television audience, rather than hiding away in a hovel with a microphone. For that is what Bartoli and every other female athlete has to contend with whenever they compete. Many of Inverdale's female TV colleagues may well feel the same. It is not only the scores, times and records of women in sport that are analysed, but the way they look.
It goes much further than valid questions about whether an athlete's physique gives her the maximum potential to achieve; whether losing a bit of weight would help her accomplish her bugs bunny 8s for sale goals. This criticism is biting, laddish and personal: is she hot, or not? The long-limbed blonde beauties of women's sport play up to it, of course they do. They are savvy enough to know that pretty petite heptathletes get the airtime squadron blue 13s for sale and the lucrative sponsorship, while the chunky shot putters are patronised, mocked or just ignored. It is not gold medals or Grand Slam titles that sell, but good looks. And it stinks. That was the point, I think, that Inverdale was attempting to make, in his bumbling, demeaning and condescending way. But that he felt emboldened enough to phrase his question in such a jocular manner only reflects the deeply ingrained roots of this sexist, patronising attitude.
It is irrelevant whether you think Bartoli is hot or not. She was the hottest ladies' singles player at Wimbledon this year because she was the one who walked away with the Venus Rosewater dish. The rest should not matter. Performance of the week So many to choose from, but 14-year-old Kesi Oludoyi's British junior record of 10.84secs in the 100metres at the English Schools' Athletics Championships stands out. He did not even use blocks. What they said... The FA dismissed Doncaster Rovers Belles' appeal against their enforced relegation from the top tier of women's football on all grounds' last week. Funnily enough, they chose to announce this during a Lions Test, the British Grand Prix and Wimbledon. Talk about burying bad news.