Talk:Jock Semple

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Use of the word assault and inaccurate characterization[edit]

This page uses the word assault which denotes a crime that a person is adjudicated and tried for. I did not see any record of this happening. Later the page claims that he "changed his stance" on women as if to suggest he changed his ways. I don't think that is what happened from looking at the sources. His Sports Illustrated interview is in 1968, which is one year after the incident in the photo. The organization practically changed the rules immediately following the incident and Semple even supported the new rules at least it would appear so given his statements in the 1968 SI interview. Semple then implemented the new rule once it was past to allow a women's Boston Marathon race. The races are huge so they have to limit the numbers regardless of sex/gender, which is why it took time to ascertain what the average time should be for women to qualify for the race. A misunderstanding of how large marathons are logistically managed leads the audience and perhaps the writers to see this time gap as resistance but looking at the record/statements it doesn't really appear so. — Preceding unsigned comment added by GhostsOfGironde (talkcontribs) 20:48, 28 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah lots of violations in that. Have toned it down, but a case could be made to revert it back to this version. AIRcorn (talk) 21:36, 28 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Switzer[edit]

Her website says :-

I encourage writers, historians, journalists and students to read and quote from this story first rather than attempt to piece together misinformation handed down from source to source.

The next day Arnie came to my dorm and insisted that I sign up for the race. He said it was wrong to run without registering and, besides, I could get in serious trouble with the Amateur Athletic Union, our sport’s strict governing body. We checked the rule book and entry form; there was nothing about gender in the marathon. Wizzy 12:53, 15 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Semple's autobiography (Just call me Jock) says (p. 7) that in 1967 "women were still barred from competition" and that Switzer's entry, which had escaped screening, was a "flagrant violation of the rules". On p. 114 we find: "I have always been in great favor of the girls running, that is when they do it legally—which Kathy did not do." Hertz1888 (talk) 13:43, 15 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]