Maddie Groves, a well-known two-time Olympic silver medalist, had been working extremely hard to get ready for the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which were postponed a year due to the pandemic. She recently, though, came under additional pressure during the Australian trials, which forced her to decide—a difficult decision—to withdraw from the Olympics. In the swimming community, Maddie claimed that “misogynistic perverts” had harassed her.
Maddie didn’t mention any names in her announcement because doing so wasn’t necessary. She had previously made it clear that she had encountered harassment while participating in sports. She decided to prioritize a life free from such abuse rather than put up with more harassment from these “misogynistic perverts.”.
Sadly, Maddie’s choice means that she won’t be competing in Tokyo this summer. She will not compete in the 200-meter butterfly or the 4100 medley, events in which she excelled during the 2016 Rio Summer Games despite being a world-class swimmer and winning two silver medals at the Olympics.
In her struggle against the perverts she encountered, Maddie’s declaration represents a turning point. She feels that it is time to stop tolerating their actions, especially in the highly competitive world of sports. She vented her frustration in a moving Instagram post that struck a chord with her followers.
She wrote, “I’ve decided not to compete at the Olympic Trials in Adelaide. Thank you so much for your encouragement as I make this choice. I’m very relieved, and I’m looking forward to competing in a few more events later in the year (yeah, sorry/not sorry, you haven’t let me go just yet!). “.
In a subsequent post, where she provided more information regarding her decision to withdraw from the Olympics, Maddie’s choice became even clearer. All the misogynistic perverts in sports, as well as those who support them, were the target of her strong message. Her words struck a powerful chord:.
This should serve as a warning to all misogynistic perverts in sports and their boot lickers. You can no longer use young girls and women for your own gain, body shame them, or mislead them about their health while expecting them to speak for you so that you can collect your annual bonus. The time has come. “.
Maddie bravely made the decision to leave the sport that seemed to support such unacceptable behavior and reward those in positions of authority that supported it. Her decision is a strong protest against sexual harassment in sports and a call for reform.
Although Maddie won’t be competing in Tokyo, her stance against harassment will have a lasting effect on the sporting world. Everyone has a chance to consider how to foster an environment that is safer, more welcoming, and free from the influence of misogynistic perverts for athletes.