John Inverdale sparks everyday sexism row with claim Andy Murray is first tennis player to win two Olympic golds
The BBC have called the blip a ‘simple error’
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Your support makes all the difference.John Inverdale has sparked accusations of everyday sexism after Andy Murray had to remind him that he was not the first tennis player to win two Olympic gold medals, given that Venus and Serena Williams have won four.
Murray retained his Olympic gold medal on Sunday night after beating Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in a match which lasted over four hours. During his post-match interview, Inverdale congratulated the Briton on being “the first person ever to win two Olympic tennis gold medals”.
Murray immediately corrected the presenter, saying: “To defend the singles title. I think Venus and Serena have won about four each.”
The exchange led a number of people on Twitter to thank the 29-year-old for “reminding” Inverdale about women’s existence. JK Rowling led the chorus of applause:
Others accused the presenter of everyday sexism by hastily congratulating a man on his achievements and forgetting the achievements of women.
The BBC have said the comment was “a simple error”.
The Labour MP Jess Phillips even awarded Murray “gold medal for feminism in the men’s events”. Indeed, perhaps he is on his way to becoming a feminist hero after proclaiming himself a feminist in June and pointing out the disparity in scrutiny his former coach Amelie Mauresmo faced when he lost compared to his previous male coaches.
“Have I become a feminist? Well, if being a feminist is about fighting so that a woman is treated like a man then yes, I suppose, I have,” Murray wrote in a column for L’Equipe.
While there was no shortage of praise for Murray there was no shortage of criticism of Inverdale either as people on social media recounted a previous sexism blunder involving Inverdale.
In 2013, Inverdale sent a personal apology to tennis player Marion Bartoli after saying he wondered if her father ever told her “you are never going to be a looker”.
After Bartoli won the Wimbledon title, Inverdale remarked: “I wonder if her dad, because he has obviously been the most influential person in her life, did say to her when she was 12, 13, 14 maybe, ‘listen, you are never going to be a looker’.
“You are never going to be somebody like a Sharapova, you’re never going to be 5ft 11, you’re never going to be somebody with long legs, so you have to compensate for that.”
The Independent has contacted a representative for Inverdale for comment.
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