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sports Diabierna 7 Mei 2021

Olympic track and field First woman completing sport analytics

champion Tamara Press degree at Syracuse U

dies at 83 Bailie Brown doesn't con-
sider herself a trailblazer,
MOSCOW (AP) — Ta- compete at the 1966 Europe- and yet in a way she is —
mara Press, a three-time an Championships, nor did and so is her school.
Olympic champion from her sister, and both retired
the Soviet Union who shortly after. Gender veri- Brown will graduate this
withdrew from interna- fication was introduced for month from Syracuse Uni-
tional competition amid those championships. Many versity's Falk College with a
speculation and jibes female athletes found it and Bachelor of Science degree in
about her gender, has other physical examinations sport analytics, becoming the
died. She was 83. intrusive and humiliating. first woman to complete the
four-year undergraduate pro-
The Russian track federation That was an early instance of gram since its inception five
said Press died in the hospital the disputes around female years ago. Her 23 classmates
on April 26, without giving a athletes with differences of are men.
cause of death. sex development. South Af-
rican runner Caster Seme- "It's definitely an honor," Brown is in a good place at by going to her younger
Press won gold in the shot nya won the 800-meter gold Brown said. "I think that a seemingly opportune time. brother's Little League games
put and silver in the discus medal at the 2012 and 2016 there's a little bit of pressure Women are gaining traction and asking questions, lots of
at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Olympics but is barred from that goes along with that. I in management positions at questions.
and gold in both events four defending her title this year think I feel like I need to be the top echelons of profes-
years later at the 1964 To- because of her naturally high successful." sional sports, opening more Brown, 21, already has found
doors for others to follow that someone. She's complet-
kyo Games. Her sister, Irina testosterone levels. She has
Press, won Olympic gold in spent years in legal battles Syracuse University and Cal- into a realm that's been dom- ing her final college semester
remotely because of COV-
the 80-meter hurdles in 1960 with World Athletics and has ifornia Baptist University in inated by men.
and the pentathlon in 1964. recently moved to compete Los Angeles began offering ID-19 restrictions in upstate
New York, and that dove-
Irina Press died in 2004. in the 5,000-meter race after a four-year undergraduate Two years ago, Valerie Camil-
refusing to take medication course of study in sports ana- lo became the first woman tails nicely with her new job
Both sisters were subjected to reduce her testosterone lytics in 2016. Brown chose hired as president of an NHL working on baseball strategy
to comments and mockery in levels. Syracuse after discovering franchise when she took the as an operations apprentice
with the Houston Astros,
position with the Philadel-
the United States and else- the program by chance.
where about what some ob- Born in what is now Ukraine, phia Flyers. The Miami Mar- where Sarah Gelles is direc-
servers considered their mas- Press was evacuated to Cen- The opportunity at Syracuse lins hired Kim Ng as general tor of research and develop-
culine physiques. tral Asia following Nazi was there, thanks in large manager in October, the first ment.
Germany's invasion of the part to the efforts of profes- female GM in the four ma-
"Certainly we are concerned Soviet Union during World sors Michael Veley, founding jor North American profes- "I hope this is opening up
with femininity. I'm a cham- War II. She later moved to director of the university's sional sports leagues. And in more opportunities for more
pion but you can see I'm a St. Petersburg, then known sport management program, mid-April, Lucy Rushton, girls to come and follow in
woman," Tamara Press said as Leningrad. Later in life, and Rodney Paul, director of an analytics whiz, was hired my footsteps and my class-
in 1964. "The fact that a girl Press worked as a track and the sport analytics program. as GM of D.C. United, just mates' footsteps in the future
the second woman in Major so it'll get to a point where it
is a sportswoman has noth- field coach and wrote books. Falk College's 275 applica-
ing to do with femininity." She also chaired the board of tions for the incoming class League Soccer history to be isn't a big deal," said Brown,
trustees of a sports museum in August are the most for a full-time general manager, who moved to Houston last
At the age of 29, Press did not in Moscow. the program, up more than after Lynne Meterparel with month. "It'll be normal for
11% from 2020, and 31 are the San Jose Clash in 1999. other women to be graduat-
women, more than triple last ing with these kinds of de-
year's total of 10. That Brown isn't an athlete grees and to be able to go into
didn't faze her one bit. Her fields such as these."
foundation was developed

MLB's Atlanta Braves to offer

free vaccinations

The Atlanta Braves will be Truist Park during their phia Phillies.
providing free COVID-19 games Friday and Satur-
vaccinations for fans at day against the Philadel- The single-dose Johnson
& Johnson vaccine will be
available to those who are
18 and older, while the two-
dose Pfizer vaccine will be
provided to those who are 16
and 17.

Each person who gets vac-
cinated is eligible to receive
two free tickets to a future
Braves game.
The team is asking fans to
register for the vaccine at
www.braves.com/gamevac-
cine. Walk-ups will also be
admitted as long as supplies
last.