|
(Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
2. Can a woman break 4 minutes for the mile?
Speaking of records!
Nike announced last week a Breaking4 project to back 3x Olympic 1500m gold medalist Faith Kipyegon in an effort to become the first woman to break four minutes in the mile. They'll bring the full weight of Nike resources and science to support her — much like the Breaking2 project that attempted to go after the two-hour marathon.
What does that look like? There will certainly be a phalanx of male pacers and super shoes, optimal weather and track conditions, lab-backed training. All of which will make the run not eligible for record certification. But the full scope of tech and training hasn't been revealed yet.
Can she do it? Maybe! Kipyegon has run 4:07 — but her best 1500m time (which is run far more often and more competitively) is equivalent to a 4:06. Still, six seconds is a lot to trim off an already world champion runner. A study released earlier this year examined the aerodynamic effects of pacers on a track and hypothesized that a woman could break four minutes in the right conditions...
🏃♀️ MARK YOUR CALENDAR: She'll make her attempt (or at least first attempt) on June 26 at the Stade Charléty in Paris
🤔 READ: Faith Kipyegon on how she'll run a 4-minute mile
🧠 LEARN: Could a female athlete run a 4-minute mile with improved aerodynamic drafting?
3. What's with all the weight loss & beauty ads in women's sports...
If you've been watching a lot of women's sports on TV lately (and who isn't!), you might have noticed the extensive weight loss and beauty ads...
Throughout the WNBA, Unrivaled, and March Madness seasons there were countless ads for GLP-1 drugs and for weight loss programs. Cosmetic companies, like Sephora, Maybelline, and e.l.f., have also signed sponsorship deals with high-profile athletes, like Ilona Maher, and with leagues, like the NWSL and Women's Lacrosse League.
Partially, this is because these companies see the potential to reached an untapped market of new viewers and they want to capitalize on the opportunity in women's sports. Partially, ad buys are often by demographic — ie. if the makers of Ozempic want to reach women in their 30s, they buy broadly across programs that have those viewership demographics — and women's sports are watched by a lot of women in their 30s!
BUT. We also know women's sports are watched by a lot of young girls, who find inspiration in them, and that body image issues continue to be something young girls struggle with. What message are we sending them?
🎧 LISTEN: Why is the WNBA running weight loss ads right now?
ALSO: We already had WAGS, now with the rise in women's sports it's time to *also* talk about HABS (Husbands and Boyfriends)
|
