DEAR NBC SPORTS

I wrote the following e-mail today.  What I saw last Saturday morning moved me as much as any of the memorable Olympic moments I have seen over the years.  The fact that at this time in the history of the world there are women being treated like this makes me sick.  The fact that at this time in the history of the world there are women like these 2 gives me great hope. 

Dear NBC Sports and Bob Costas,

I love your Olympic coverage.  I offer my comments here in the most sincere and constructive way possible. 

I have an idea for an issue I feel should be addressed before the Games are over.  I was watching your coverage of preliminary races for the women’s 100 meters event.  Not the qualifying heats but they were called preliminary races.  It was about 8 am PST on Saturday morning, August 4.  There were several heats.  Two of them had women entered from countries that had previously forbidden women from competing.  One was from Qatar and I believe the other was Afghanistan.  Both women were dressed head to toe in full dress complying with religious beliefs that forbid women from exposing themselves in public.

As the Qatar woman was preparing to start the race, the TV camera focused on a close up look of her face for a good minute or so.  She was obviously petrified, her wide eyes glancing quickly from side to side.  After she took her position in the blocks, she waited for the starting gun then stumbled forward and fell to the ground.  She had not taken one step and was taken off the track in a wheel chair.

The other woman ran the full length of the race and finished last by a bunch with a big smile on her face.  As the competitors milled around after the finish, she was still smiling and appeared to be looking for someone to give her a high 5, knuckle bump or something.  Finally 1 other woman, of the 7 or 8 runners came up to her and shook her hand. 

There has been much written and spoken before and during these Games about the plight of women such as these.  Indeed there were comments leading up to their races by the TV announcers about their journey.  These comments, among other things, addressed the fact that their countries would refuse to televise the races they were in.  Each faced ridicule and resentment that would break any normal human being.  They were even forced to train secretly.  These 2 faced an uncertain, grave future upon return home.  Tell me they don’t represent the ultimate in courage. 

My point in writing this is that I feel the coverage of those 2 women deserves at least a segment of prime time coverage.  There are still a few days left.  For women around the world do the right thing, please.

Forest Smith III

Newport Beach, CA, USA