Lady Killers

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ANY SPORTS FAN WORTH A LICK KNOWS THAT NUMBERS TELL THE REAL STORY. SO WHATaETMS THE TALE OF WOMEN IN SPORTS? READ ON, BASKETBALL BUFFS, FIGURE-SKATING FANATICS AND OLYMPICS OBSESSIVES. WEaETMVE GOT SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. EVEN CARROM CRAZIES! (FEAR NOTaE"WEaETMLL EXPLAIN.)

ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL

Title IX, the landmark 1972 legislation that banned sex discrimination in public schools, has brought plenty of girls to the playing field. But who knew so many would hit mats, lakes and bowling alleys, too? Female participation in the following high school sports has increased more than a thousandfold since the 1970s and 1980s, so youaETMd better sign your little ones up for judo and canoeing ASAP, lest they be ostracized by the cool kids.

INCREASE IN SPORT PARTICIPATION BY HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS*

WATER POLO

+74,029%

1976 24

2007 17,791

SOCCER

+48,133%

1972 700

2007 337,632

JUDO

+16,000%

1979 2

2007 322

CANOEING

+13,460%

1979 10

2007 1,356

LACROSSE

+12,071%

1972 450

2007 54,771

CREW

+11,574%

1979 23

2007 2,685

CROSS COUNTRY

+10,568%

1972 1,719

2007 183,376

WRESTLING

+10,417%

1980 48

2007 5,048

FOOTBALL

+7,862%

1984 13

2007 1,035

ICE HOCKEY

+7,556%

1974 96

2007 7,350

GOLF

+5,829%

1972 1,118

2007 66,283

BOWLING

+5,557%

1972 370

2007 20,931

*Source: National Federation of State High School Associations

HONORED TO BE HERE

You donaETMt have to be a distinguished decathlete to make it into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. You just have to be ridiculously awesome at whatever you chooseaE"like coaching, filmmaking or bossing people around (okay,

administrating). Here are the disciplines of the dozens of Olympians and other sports figures whoaETMve joined them in the Hall.

US OLYMPIC HALL OF FAME MEMBERSHIP BY SPORT

MEN (TOTAL: 89) WOMEN (TOTAL: 29)

TRACK & FIELD 36% 28%

SWIMMING 9 24

BOXING 9

ADMINISTRATION 6

BASKETBALL 6

MEDIA 6

FIGURE SKATING 5 17

ICE HOCKEY 3

GYMNASTICS 3 10

SPEED SKATING 3 3

DIVING 2 7

ROWING 2

PARALYMPICS 2 3

CYCLING 3

SOCCER 3

WRESTLING 2

BEACH VOLLEYBALL 1

EQUESTRIAN 1

SHOOTING 1

SKIING 1

WEIGHTLIFTING 1

DRAFTY RAFTERS

In the WNBAaETMs 12 years, six players have had their numbers retired. ThataETMs .5 per year, compared with 2.52 per year for the NBA (156 retired jerseys since 1946). Hang in there, ladies.

6

RUTHIE BOLTON

Sacramento Monarchs

11

PENNY TOLER

Los Angeles Sparks

7

MICHELE TIMMS*

Phoenix Mercury

14

CYNTHIA COOPER

Houston Comets

10

KIM PERROT

Houston Comets

32

ANDREA STINSON

Charlotte Sting

*Unretired in June 2006

WINNERaETMS CIRCLE In a nod to four-legged ladies, we asked Allan Carter, historian with the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, to rank the top 10 fillies of all time.

1. Regret (raced from 1914 to 1917)

2. Ruffian (1974-75)

3. Miss Woodford (1882-86)

4. Genuine Risk (1979-81)

5. Busher (1944-45, 1947)

6. Gallorette (1944-48)

7. Cicada (1961-64)

8. Personal Ensign (1986-88)

9. Go for Wand (1989-90)

10. Shuvee (1968-71)

CEREAL THRILLERS

Of the 1,400 or so individuals and groups whoaETMve graced Wheaties boxes since 1933, just 6% have represented the fairer sex. The path to morning glory often passes through the Olympics nowadays, but it hasnaETMt always been thus. Circus performers, big-game hunters and aviatorsaE"such as Elinor Smith, the first Wheaties woman, in 1934aE" are among the champions whoaETMve joined Americans for breakfast.

1,400

84

IS THAT PRADA IN YOUR HAND OR ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO BEAT ME?

Things are looking up for female pros. Sure, they still lag way behind their male counterparts when it comes to prize money in golf, tennis and surfing, but womenaETMs purses are growing more quickly than man bags. Ironically, in figure skating, where women are the marquee draw, the figures are identical. We blame the French judge!

PURSES ROUNDED TO NEAREST HUNDRED THOUSAND PERCENTAGE INCREASE

LPGA $42.8m 49.9

$64.1m

PGA $239.6m 16.6

$279.5

WTA $56.6m 32.7

$75.1m

ATP $85.5m 24.7

$106.6m

[WOMEN] ASP $472k 47.2

$695k

[MEN] ASP $2.9m 25.4

$3.6m

[WOMEN] ISU GRAND PRIX $1.4m 0

$1.4m

[MEN] ISU GRAND PRIX $1.4m 0

$1.4m 0

JUST DANCE. OR RUN. OR PLAY PAINTBALL!

Apparently, teen girls around the world arenaETMt too busy texting to get moving. According to a 2008 survey conducted by the TRU market research firm, girls ages 14 to 18 regularly engage in sporty activities like samba, cricket and trampolineaE"though not all at the same time, we hope.

KOREA

Paintball 44%

Dance 42

Billiards 41

Motorcycling 37

Roller-skating 35

BRAZIL

Dance 61%

Volleyball 61

Bicycling 50

Aerobics 35

Handball 33

INDIA

Carrom* 51%

Badminton 44

Dance 33

Cricket 29

Bicycling 26

FINLAND

Bicycling 57%

Swimming 54

Running 52

Dance 45

Trampoline 45

CHINA

Badminton 58%

Running 54

Basketball 32

Table Tennis 27

Swimming 24

*Carrom is a game, sort of a cross between billiards, air hockey and marbles. Looks fun: uscarrom.org.

MIDAS TOUCH

When swimmer Kirsty Coventry won the 200-meter backstroke last summer in Beijing, she collected the second individual Olympic gold medal in ZimbabweaETMs history. She won the first in 2004, in the same event. With its womenaETMs field hockey team also taking home top honors in 1980, Zimbabwe is one of only seven foreign lands in which women are the sole gold medalists.

LIECHTENSTEIN

Hanni Wenzel

Alpine Skiing

(slalom and giant slalom)

Lake Placid 1980

COSTA RICA

Claudia Poll Ahrens

Swimming

(200m freestyle)

Atlanta 1996

SYRIA

Ghada Shouaa

Track & Field (heptathlon)

Atlanta

HONG KONG

Lee Lai Shan

Sailing (mistral)

Atlanta

ZIMBABWE

COLOMBIA

Maria Isabel Urrutia

Weightlifting (75kg)

Sydney 2000

MOZAMBIQUE

Maria de Lurdes Mutola

Track & Field (800m)

Sydney

MOST WANTED

Want a jumpsuit worn by Danica Patrick? ItaETMll cost you four large. But thataETMs chump change compared with the prices that the most coveted womenaETMs sports memorabilia might fetch, as estimated by the good folks at Heritage Auction Galleries.

1.Mary Lou RettonaETMs 1984 Olympic gold medal, gymnastics all-around: $50,000

2.Martina NavratilovaaETMs Wimbledon trophies: $50,000 each (for singles or doubles play)

3.Cheryl MilleraETMs 1984 Olympic gold for basketball: $25,000

4.Jackie Joyner-KerseeaETMs 1988 Olympic golds: $25,000 for the heptathlon, $22,500 for long jump

5.Brandi ChastainaETMs jersey from the 1999 WomenaETMs World Cup final: $15,000

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