Cycling sexism: BMX bandits steal money from women

TWO Olympians, one female, one male. Both raced the same distance, both won. So guess who got paid double?

Caroline Buchanan at London

IN 1983, a skinny teenager called Nicole Kidman starred in her first movie, BMX Bandits. It was awesome, because it showed that BMX chicks could rip it up just like the dudes.

Three decades on, BMX Australia has delivered exactly the opposite message.

At the 2013 BMX Nationals held in Brisbane last week, female competitors received half the prize money of male riders in the main event, the Oceania Championship. This, despite competing over the same course and distance.

The men's race was won by London Olympian Sam Willoughby, who received 2000 Euros, or about A$2600.

The winner of the women's race, Caroline Buchanan, is a former world champion who also rode at the London Olympics. But she won just 1000 Euros, or about A$1300.

That didn't sound particularly fair or progressive to us, so we rang BMX Australia. It said it wasn't responsible for prize money in the Oceania Championship since the race was conducted under the auspices of world cycling's governing body, the UCI.

So we rang the UCI's representative in Australia, Tracey Gaudry. Good news. Trace is on the case.

"At championship events, I believe prize money should be equal," Ms Gaudry said. "Where there are equivalent events, there should be equivalent prize money."

We asked Ms Gaudry if prize money equivalency could happen by next year's nationals, so that this reporter's nine-year-old daughter wouldn't say "hey Dad, that's not fair" as she watched a replay of the BMX Nationals on telly.

Ms Gaudry couldn't guarantee that. She said it's not as simple as pulling a grand or two out of the budget to even things up. But she did say she'll push the case through formal channels at the upcoming UCI meeting in Norway.

The UCI approved a proposal in December last year for equal prize money for all cycling events in all disciplines at world championship level. Ms Gaudry's hope is that the new rules flow down to continental and national level too.

More than 75 per cent of Australia's registered BMX riders are male, but that's changing rapidly.

"The great news is that female participation is on the rise," Ms Gaudry said.

You'd have to assume that equal prize money at televised events will accelerate that. Because here's the thing. Little Miss Nine wasn't exactly busting to go out and ride her bike after she found out that men were twice as valued by the sport.

Learn more about Caroline at carolinebuchanan.com

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