Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Thursday 1 February 2018

F1 to end long-standing

practice of using ‘grid girls’

societal norms,” said Sean dia, which completed its “walk-on girls” before
Bratches, F1’s managing takeover from former com- matches.
director of commercial op- mercial rights holder Bernie Other motorsports have
erations. “We don’t believe Ecclestone in January 2017. stopped the usage of “grid
the practice is appropriate “Over the last year we girls.” The World Endurance
or relevant to Formula One have looked at a num- Championship — which
and its fans, old and new, ber of areas which we felt hosts the famous 24 Hours
across the world.” needed updating so as to Le Mans race — stopped
At previous F1 races, wom- be more in tune with our vi- doing it prior to the start of
In this file photo dated Saturday, May 27, 2017, so called “grid en dressed in uniform would sion,” Bratches said. the 2015 season.
girls” line up after the qualifying session for the Formula One walk out onto the grid F1’s decision was applaud- As a one-off move, race
Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco. shortly before the start and ed by the Women’s Sport organizers at the Monaco
Associated Press then stand in front of each Trust — a charity raising the Grand Prix in 2015 replaced
By JEROME PUGMIRE practice of using women driver’s car, holding up the visibility and increasing the “grid girls” with “grid boys”
AP Sports Writer on the grid and on the driver’s number. Women impact of women’s sport. — men in short jeans — a
PARIS (AP) — There will be podium with the top three would also stand alongside “Thank you @F1 for decid- move scoffed at by four-
no more “grid girls” before drivers. The Formula One the winner on the podium ing to stop using grid girls. time F1 champion Sebas-
Formula One races and no season starts on March 25 after the race. Another sport making a tian Vettel.
more “podium girls” cel- at the Australian Grand Prix. The changes also apply clear choice about what “Why didn’t we have any
ebrating with the drivers af- “We feel this custom does to other motorsports series they want to stand for,” the grid girls today?” Vettel said
ter them. not resonate with our — such as F2 — that take trust wrote on Twitter. at the time. “You get there
F1 said Wednesday it will brand values and clearly is place on GP weekends. The Professional Darts Cor- and park behind George or
end the long-standing at odds with modern day F1 is owned by Liberty Me- poration has also scrapped Dave. What’s the point?”q

Simone Biles where she was abused.

Biles is currently working
Continued from Page 17 On Jan. 15, Biles posted out at her home gymnas-
a statement on her Twit- tics facility in preparation
The entire USA Gymnas- ter account, saying she for the World Champi-
tics board of directors re- was sexually abused by onships in October. The
signed Friday and Black- Nassar but she “won’t let 4-foot-8 powerhouse set
mun called for an inde- one man, and the others the bar high for the Tokyo
pendent investigation into that enabled him, to steal Olympics after her accom-
how Nassar was allowed my love and joy.” Fellow plishments in Rio. But she
to abuse athletes for de- Olympic stars Aly Raisman, said on the “Today” show
cades. “Any of us girls that Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Wednesday that she wants
have gone through what Douglas and McKayla In this July 10, 2016, file photo, Simone Biles competes on the to improve on the balance
we’ve been through are Maroney have made simi- balance beam during the women’s U.S. Olympic gymnastics beam, where she finished
finally happy that (Nassar) lar disclosures of abuse. trials in San Jose, Calif. with a bronze.
will no longer be able to Biles, the most decorated Associated Press The 20-year-old Biles also
hurt anybody else,” Biles American gymnast with 14 en who confronted Nassar “That has happened not plans to study business
said. “But I feel like there’s world championship med- in court last week and the only to the athletes and online, through the tuition-
still a lot of work that needs als, thinks investigations, judge for allowing so many the girls and the men, but free University of the Peo-
to be done so we can ac- awareness and education to speak. also to our sport.” ple, where there’s a schol-
tually feel like this has gone are key to keeping kids “It’s eye-opening and it’s USA Gymnastics recently arship in her name devot-
somewhere. So we’re not safer in sports. very empowering and very severed ties with the Kar- ed to foster children.
stuck in the same place She called Raisman and inspiring to hear the other olyi Ranch in Texas after On Saturday night, Lifetime
wondering who did this Judge Rosemarie Aquilina girls go out and speak so Biles wrote on Twitter that will debut the TV movie
or when or why it hap- her heroes — Raisman for strongly about something she dreaded returning to “The Simone Biles Story:
pened.” joining the group of wom- so devastating,” Biles said. the same training facility Courage to Soar.”q