Ceremonies reflect effect of women

TURIN, Italy – When Italy first was host to the Winter Olympics in 1956, women competed in only three events: figure skating, alpine skiing and cross-country skiing.

A half-century later, look how far they’ve come. At the Turin Olympics, which get under way with events today, women will participate in 13 events.

Friday’s opening ceremonies at the Olympic Stadium represented how far women have advanced in sports and in the rest of the world – and yet also were a reminder of the progress that still needs to be made.

There were still some delegations that had few, if any, women members.

For the first time, all eight bearers of the Olympic flag were women. Two were famous film actresses also involved in human rights work: Sophia Loren and Susan Sarandon. Three were athletes: 400-meter hurdle competitor Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco, the first African Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold; 800-meter runner Maria Mutola, the first Mozambican woman to win Olympic gold; and Manuela Di Centa, an Italian Nordic skier who has won seven Olympic medals.

The others were Chilean journalist and author Isabel Allende, Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai and Cambodian human-rights activist Somaly Mam.

At the opening ceremonies, American bobsled gold medalist Vonetta Flowers said, “It was exciting. I kept thinking back to 2002, and the time I was on the medal podium, and I was all choked up and crying. I kept my composure this time and it was just so exciting to walk into the arena.”