[Closed] Rachel Atherton on the BBC website

Reece Wilson was on the Herald website today as well.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/16687985.reece-wilson-ready-to-make-world-championships-debut-after-dream-season/

I thought the article sounded a bit sexist .. Apparently written by a 'chick'  as well ..

Bitches eh?

Rach is amazing though -I tell my 14 year old this is another Rach, after she saw Rachel Archibald smashing it on the Track in Manchester a few years back.  My daughter is a Rachel too, although she won't listen to dad about using the granny ring on her MTB.

Schools need to show people like Rach Atherton, and other great sports folk to girls.

I'm in a big office, it's 70% female but the 'young lot' don't exercise.  The ones that are broken is me, another bloke, and a lady, we are all in our 40's that are busted up, but we do more than the whole office !

All the younger lady's don't exercise (they benefit from age being thin).  Same with the lads - booze more than us old blokes.

The thing is, us older 'lot' could actually do better than the 'young lot' in the office. Talk about me crashing my bikes etc, blah blah, that lot haven't broken a nail.  I think the youngsters do reccon us older generation are a bit crazy.

I thought the article sounded a bit sexist

WTF are you on about?

I mean, it was definitely non-ethno-trans inclusionary, but sexist? Have a word.

I thought the article sounded a bit sexist

Go on, I’ll bite. How so?

<p>Also confused about alleged sexism...</p>

I'm confused also.

Another confused one here.

there are girls and there are boys, it's what makes the human race (and most other species) work. All this putting every word anyone publishes involving gender under the microscope smacks of a move toward somewhere we really don't want to go.

It's a pretty crap article really ... at least it seems to lack any type of audience.

Most of the people on here or who already know who Rachel is ... are not really going to find anything interesting beyond "The BBC has a short article on DH" ...

Whilst for the masses it misses the whole coming back from injury... how the younger British rider is pushing her and how the season was dominated by the battle between Tahnee and Rachel with Pompom injured ...the backdrop of Rachel was coming back from her injury, her unbroken streak before ... snapped chains and Tahnee's disqualification..

or even WTF is the difference between the WC and Wchamps ???

In other words ... this could have been made into a real story that people who had never even heard of DH would find interesting as it is it comes off as "British person won something... better send someone to write up a minimum number of column inches".

I agree with the sexism charge. Article refers to Rachel as "her" and "she" when we are all "It"s now.

I think the article is great, and it's good to see coverage no matter how stereotypical and 'rad' they make the sport sound.

I've also been doing the thing with my young un's of showing them the downhill, especially my daughter. I think Rachel is a great role model for women, especially as she demonstrates an utter domination of her chosen, and albeit unusual sport. My only issue is the way she does her interviews, especially on the podcasts I listen to. It grates me no end when i'm doing the dishes, and the kids are having their dinner, that the one girl I would like my 5 year old to listen to and be inspired by (be it on VitalMTB, Downtime etc...) is the one with the foulest language out of all the interviews on the show! Ah well.

What do you mean by foulest language? A few ****s and buggers or when she talks like a surfer from the 90s; gnarly etc?

I can't see the sexism.

A few shits and buggers is all it takes to stop me wanting to show MTB videos to my kids.

Quite often, even in post race interviews, there is frequent use of worse words. Most of the 'edits' and series that are UK based are impossible to view with the sound up if you care that children shouldn't be exposed to bad language at a young age.

What do you mean by foulest language? A few **** and buggers or when she talks like a surfer from the 90s; gnarly etc?

Yeah been some bad words dropped on red bull too, not great for the kids,

What do you mean by foulest language? A few **** and buggers or when she talks like a surfer from the 90s; gnarly etc?

Well, not the stuff you necessarily want to have a young kid watch as a role model...

My 9yr old is hardly innocent... he sits in enough uplift vans for a start but Rachel does perhaps step over fairly often.  (and they also seem to be inserted rather than slips)

Watch Matt Jones for an example (IMHO) of a really good role model.

I can’t see the sexism.

Me neither ... though perhaps it's partly present in the amount of column inches given over and the IMHO very poor journalism.  It does seem to me that someone at the BBC got informed "some British Woman won something or other.... send someone (preferably a woman) to cover the story".

Say Dan had won .... it wouldn't have the same story as Rachel having slipped from an absolute dominance.  (Like say Geraint or Froome winning EVERY STAGE for an entire season or even tour) ... having an injury and fighting back or indeed if the Race itself was down to 2 brits...

I was riding when the results were live but I watched the Womens first... not simply because it was first or because the mens result had been splashed across my phone screen

**Negativity Warning**

To me this isn't exactly unique, whoever handles the Atherton media relations does a great job, they get themselves on TV occasionally, and the Beeb always runs a little piece on her come Worlds. Have done for years.

Manon Carpenter used to get some space on the BBC website too, but as she's overtly Welsh rather than just living here she was relegated to BBC Wales

If Rachel wins this weekend she'll get another 800 word-ish piece on the site because Trek / Atherton will push it, if Seagrave wins she probably won't and if a non-Brit wins.

The Men will only likely get coverage if a Brit wins because there's not a Brit defending champ.

It's a real shame really, but I think Downhill will only ever be a sport watched by other Mountain Bikers and their long-suffering families, for me it's hugely more entertaining to watch then XC, but XC is an Olympic Sport and DH isn't - given a shot at 'the games' and (at the moment anyway) an almost 100% guarantee of bringing home a medal I'm sure it would gain a non-MTB audience, but it won't.

Perhaps that's not such a bad thing, have you ever tried to get onto a public tennis court after Wimbledon? Imagine if the Brits came away with 2x Golds at the Olympics? The hills would be alive with the sound of pain and suffering as every armchair fan pulled their 90s Raleigh Max from the back of the shed and headed for the nearest DH track.

Fun to watch though.

If Rachel wins this weekend she’ll get another 800 word-ish piece on the site because Trek / Atherton will push it, if Seagrave wins she probably won’t and if a non-Brit wins.

They have a short report on each round so far, so I'd expect one on Seagrave if she wins.

The Men will only likely get coverage if a Brit wins because there’s not a Brit defending champ.

I'm sure they will get a foot note but it's a bit outside the BBC's remit there as it's still minority interest with a lot of good coverage elsewhere

for me it’s hugely more entertaining to watch then XC, but XC is an Olympic Sport and DH isn’t

I'm inclined to disagree on behalf of the non MTB public - time trial format is shockingly dull if you don't know whats going on. Watching 50 people tackle the same few obstacles as chosen by the broadcaster one after the other when you have no concept of what a rock garden or drop off is, or know any of the riders; gets boring quickly.

On the other hand, people watch the marathon (2 hours of jogging!) and the cycling road race, where its obvious who is winning at any given point, the commentators can discuss the course and the riders strengths/weaknesses. Four cross would have been more fun than BMX to watch, but I don't see the two existing together at the games, too similar.

I’m sure they will get a foot note but it’s a bit outside the BBC’s remit there as it’s still minority interest with a lot of good coverage elsewhere

A bit catch-22 though .... ?

You'd think it being the BBC and all they would have a remit to at least popularise something we are REALLY REALLY dominating and one round takes place at Fort Bill?

@fossy

Schools need to show people like Rach Atherton, and other great sports folk to girls.

Look up "The Adventure Syndicate"

I read it twice and I can't see a single word or sentence that would even hint towards any suggestion of sexism in that article.

I'll get one of the chicks in the office to check it though and see what they think.

You’d think it being the BBC and all they would have a remit to at least popularise something we are REALLY REALLY dominating and one round takes place at Fort Bill?

I'm sure it's reported, as I said it's got the write up of every race for the last 3 years

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling

the write ups are about as detailed as the ToB too.

How does it need "Popularising" and how would the BBC do that? Long detailed article? Link to Pink Bike or Red Bull TV?

If she wins can we have a sweepstake on how many times she say "rad", "gnarly" or "sick" in the post race interview. Im going for 12

What do you mean by foulest language? A few **** and buggers or when she talks like a surfer from the 90s; gnarly etc?

More the profanity. I speak no differently myself (when not in front of the kids), but i really don't want the 5 year old coming down a slide and proclaiming it be "f@#*ing sick!" Haha! Its just a shame for the kids to miss the opportunity to hear from a potential role model.

The kids man. Will no one think of the kids!!!

how many times she say “rad”, “gnarly” or “sick” in the post race interview

Shame adrenaline sports people don't talk more like middle aged IT workers really isn't it.