Parity is not for tomorrow in the Olympic movement. But 2021 could well be remembered as the year of women. Twelve months where the leaders gained ground and sometimes even managed to seize several bastions previously out of their reach.
The examples are numerous. At the IOC, Nicole Hoevertsz was elected vice-president, a position she shares within the executive board with the Australian John Coates, the Singaporean Ng Ser Miang and the Chinese Zaiqing Yu. Former Finnish cross-country skier Emma Terho continued the female line as president of the athletes' commission, succeeding Kirsty Coventry, who had already replaced the German Claudia Bokel.
The Swedish Petra Sörling won, unopposed, the race for the presidency of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) at the end of the year. She is the first woman to lead the body since its creation. She joins the Spaniard Marisol Casado (World Triathlon) and another Swede, Annika Sörenstam (International Golf Federation), in the still very narrow circle of women presidents of an international federation of a summer Olympic sport.
At the national level, three women have left their mark on the history of their Olympic movement. Brigitte Henriques (photo above) paved the way last June by becoming the first woman to chair the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF). In Mexico, María José Alcalá achieved the same feat. Finally, the Israeli Yael Arad in turn opened a breach by becoming the first president of the national Olympic committee, after having been the first Olympic medalist from the State of Israel.
At the end of such a year, the choice was vast to designate the woman of the year in the Olympic movement. The nineteen members of the jury composed by FrancsJeux chose two. The Frenchwoman Brigitte Henriques and the Japanese Seiko Hashimoto (photo below) were tied, with each receiving 42% of the votes. A perfect tie, a perfectly deserved double trophy.
In their very different ways, the former French football player and the former Japanese speed skater and track cyclist have made history. Brigitte Henriques, 50, won the election to the presidency of the CNOSF on June 29. Vice-president of the body since 2017, but also vice-president of the French Football Federation (FFF), she dismissed the competition in the first round of voting. With 57,87% of the votes (577 out of 1018), she was ahead of former judoka Thierry Rey (19,26%), Emmanuelle Bonnet-Oulaldj (16,05%), and Patrice Martin (6,82%).
Seiko Hashimoto had a 2021 full of surprises. Until February, she was a member of the Japanese government as Minister for the Olympic Games. But the sexist remarks of the president of the Tokyo Games organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, disrupted its trajectory. The former Prime Minister unceremoniously dismissed, Seiko Hashimoto was offered the presidential post. Less than six months before the event, while maintaining the Games was far from certain, she agreed to take up the challenge. Bold.
Elected for a four-year mandate, Brigitte Henriques will lead the French Olympic movement at least until the Paris Games in 2024. Historic since the first day, her presence at the head of the CNOSF will remain throughout an Olympiad which could forever transform French sport.
Seiko Hashimoto's destiny seems more uncertain. But the multiple Olympian has already announced her next challenge: Sapporo's candidacy for the Winter Games in 2030. She would be given the presidency of the organizing committee in the event of a Japanese victory. Another way to make history.
