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New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko at the tournament in Palos Verdes, California
Photo: IMAGO/JAVIER ROJAS/IMAGO/ZUMA Wire
Professional golfer and world number three Lydia Ko spoke about menstrual cramps at a tournament in California and received a lot of recognition for it.
Ko had been treated by her physical therapist while still on the green during the final round of the tournament.
After the round, Golf Channel commentator Jerry Foltz caught her off course for an interview and asked if the "strained back and hips" would become a problem later in the tournament.
Ko replied that it's "that time of the month" - and when that happens, her back is stiff and everything is warped: "But it felt a lot better after Chris [editor's
note: Kos Physiotherapist)
came.«
Ko's frankness made interviewer Foltz stutter.
All he could get out was "Thank you very much."
Ko broke the silence and said, laughing, 'I know you're at a loss for words, Jerry.
But that was just being honest.”
»Main Aspect of Performance in Female Athletes«
Ko has received praise from many quarters for her openness.
Clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo, who has often worked with elite athletes, told New Zealand radio station Today FM: 'Menstrual cramps are part of elite sport and we finally have a channel to discuss the issue.
Keep it up, Lydia.”
New Zealand Green Party leader Marama Davidson noted that the issue "definitely doesn't get enough attention".
And Sophie Walker of Britain's Women's Equality Party wrote on Twitter to interviewer Foltz: "Imagine you're a sports reporter and you've never covered a key aspect of female athlete performance."
Menstruation in competitive sports is still a taboo
The topic last gained worldwide attention at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, when the Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui confessed to the cameras after her team's fourth place in the 4x100 meter individual medley relay: »My period started last night and I feel pretty weak and really tired.«
Often the slackness comes just before the period.
This is due to the hormone progesterone.
It causes the body to retain water and the breasts to become tense.
During the period itself, around half of women feel weak.
However, some have such severe abdominal cramps that they can hardly stand up.
Cycle-based training can help and even improve performance.
Menstruation in competitive sports is still a taboo - even in Germany.
According to a SPIEGEL survey last year, only four of the 17 Olympic bases (OSP) stated that they take the topic into account at least in individual sports.
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