We Are The Champions (Queen)
"We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions - of the world -"
The Song
"We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. One of their most famous and popular songs, it has since become an anthem for sporting victories and has been often used or referenced in popular culture. The song has been covered by many artists.
The Facts
According to clichéd old-fashioned popular myths, women are naturally unfit for physical activity since they lack strength, determination and dexterity. This belief has long been discarded by science, but equality for women hasn't yet been achieved in the field. However, thanks to the outrstanding achievements of sportswomen around the globe, they are closer than ever...
The assumption that women basically practise female-like, non-challenging physical activities had endured for millennia. Until this decade, men's dominance in sports was undisputable since it was believed that they were more likely to succeed due to their strength and size. Nevertheless, it was thorugh the risk taking pioneer women who courageously confronted these negative stereotypes that females are nowadays enjoying as more comfortable position in the sports industry. Anyway, this controversy is not over, for many women are still risking ridicule, failure, and injuries in their self-esteem whenever they submerge themselves into the "sports world".
The gap between men and women in sports became narrower as people began using women's physical traits in their favour rather than against them. Physical lightness and short height, for example, are considered now assets to practise certain sports such as polo. Years ago, strength -men's main attribute- was "over-rated" and considered a must in certain sports.
It is also true that women often choose to practise sports which do not enhance their abilities and natural qualities. What's more, they usually practise sports that were usually regarded as men's sports because of the violence involved in them. Boxing is a good example of this. Nevertheless, some women tend to practise boxing or martial arts not because of their nature but due to the skills these exercises develop within them. Indeed, many women are practising them with a clear purpose in mind: self-defence.
The prevailing idea of men and women being different both physically and mentally has shown its verisimilitude in everyday life, which often proves that men and women complement each other. This equal position with respect to men has fortunately been achieved also in the field of sport.