Mandy Bujold won her case with the IOC to participate in the Tokyo Games
She didn't fight this battle in the ring and with gloves, but in court: pregnant and on maternity leave at the time of the Olympic qualifications, Mandy Bujold won her case with the IOC to participate in the Tokyo Games. The Canadian boxer showed her pride to have won this legal battle.
Canadian boxer Mandy Bujold, who missed the Olympic qualifiers because she was pregnant and then on maternity leave, won her case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and will fight at the Tokyo Olympic Games. You will be able to follow this determined athlete at the Olympics, and why not take advantage of the breaks between fights to play at the online casino? Find the best offers on Casinorange. Your determination will also be rewarded, and good news, you won't have to fight to participate. "I am delighted to announce that the CAS decision was made this morning. I am proud to announce that my legal battle has been won," wrote the 33-year-old boxer on her social networks. My Olympic dream is still intact."
"The court ruled," added Mandy Bujold, who took fifth place at the 2016 Rio Olympics. As a result, international Olympic Committee (IOC) decisions related to boxing qualification must include accommodation for women who were pregnant or postpartum during the qualification period." After the cancellation of qualifying events last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the IOC had decided to consider the rankings of three competitions held between 2018 and 2019 as selection criteria for the Tokyo Games. But at that time, the boxer was pregnant and then on maternity leave.
The case of Mandy Bujold had been defended by the Canadian Minister responsible for sport Steven Guilbeault, who had written in May to IOC President Thomas Bach that "the decision to become a mother in 2018 should not penalize Ms Bujold and prevent her from participating in the Olympic Games. "I am so proud that we have set a human rights precedent for female athletes today and for generations to come," Bujold concluded in her message. According to the pugilist's lawyer, Sylvie Rodrigue, the Court of Arbitration for Sport verdict could have a significant impact on the treatment of women in sport. However, she thinks this is just the beginning. It will result in different federations adopting different rules, as we saw with Serena Williams in tennis.
There was still progress in women's sport, especially at the high level, and this decision shows that it is on the way. Female athletes also have the to have a child without affecting their sporting career. This may seem obvious, but often women are not always able to choose the direction of their sporting career when they embark on motherhood.