Coach in Charge of Olympic Wrestling Team Takes on Sexism

02/14/2018 - 10h52

"You're going to quit, right?". Lucimar Medeiros, 46, can't even remember how many times she has heard that question before. Some put it bluntly while others ask it more subtly.

"It's hard for women to hold their ground in the world of fighting. There's no recognition. They'll say 'Oh, but she's a woman'. So what? Don't women fight? They even fight more than men do", she said.

For nine years, Lucimar has been in charge of 65 athletes between the ages of 7 and 27 at the Olympic Training and Research Center in São Paulo. Ms. Medeiros is the first woman to oversee Greco-Roman wrestling in the country.

A former member of the Brazilian judo team, Ms. Medeiros also practiced jiu-jitsu, earned a national Pankration title, practiced sumo and was the main Olympic wrestling athlete until 2009, which was when she started coaching.

When she sat in her position as the coach of the Greco-roman cadet team (for ages 15-17), head coaches from other countries caused an uproar by going up to the head of the Brazil delegation to try to get her removed.

She just laughed it off and kept working on her career.

"Society is sexist and it's not just the men. Women who see other women fighting think they're masculine, that they're men. They don't see it as a sport. Nowadays, women try out wrestling, but [they do it] for the workout or for self-defense, not as a competition".

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

Read the article in the original language

	Bruno Santos/Folhapress
	For nine years, Lucimar Medeiros has been in charge of 65 athletes between the ages of 7 and 27 at the Olympic Training and Research Center in São Paulo