Ico For All launches first-ever women’s decathlon to address gender inequity

The GIST: Women-led sports nonprofit Ico For All is fighting to include women in the age-old sport of decathlon. On Wednesday, the org announced it would host the inaugural Women’s Decathlon World Championships in Geneva, Ohio, next month to coincide with the men’s Olympic event in Paris — where women still can’t compete.

The why: The pentathlon — essentially a non-stop marathon of five different track and field activities — originated in ancient Greece over 2000 years ago. The modern decathlon, which consists of 10 consecutive events such as running, jumping, and throwing, has been practiced in the U.S. since the late 1800s and was first included in the 1912 Olympics.

• Despite decathlon events existing for women outside of the Olympics, women have only been allowed to compete in a seven-event heptathlon starting at the 1984 LA Olympics. American decathlete Lauren Kuntz called this a vestige of “historical sexism,” which ultimately set the stage for today’s lack of financial resources and visibility.

The details: Backed by women’s sports power players Parity and Gainbridge, Ico for All’s world championships is being organized by Kuntz and will feature over 30 athletes from 10 countries, including U.S. phenoms Jordyn Bruce and Katie Straus.

• In addition to the main event, the org is putting on an icosathlon (aka a double decathlon) with 20 different track and field events. The competition will be open to all genders, ages, and abilities, a winning strategy to include more athletes in another version of the sport that — you guessed it — also excludes women.

Zooming out: The sport of athletics is booming, and women want in. In the lead-up to the Olympics, Michael Johnson launched a new track league and the 776 Invitational was announced, both of which intend to level the playing field across athletics. Many of these athletes will benefit from increased exposure and opportunity around the Games, which women decathletes can’t unlock.

• Paris 2024 is touting its gender parity in both the number of athletes and events, but that overlooks the fact that only men have the opportunity to participate in the decathlon while women can only compete in the seven-event heptathlon.

• While women have been fighting for inclusion into the event for decades, the recent involvement of powerful sponsors like Parity and Gainbridge can help athletes overcome the hurdles of being sidelined and excluded from the Games. If you can’t join them, leave them.