US women boxers see both sides of skirt issue

AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — Tyrieshia Douglas would love to box in the Olympics wearing a short skirt.

Not because she has to, but because she wants to.

The American flyweight realizes she's in the minority among female boxers and much of the international sports community, which reacted with outrage and sexism charges when amateur boxing's governing body encouraged women to wear skirts in recent competitions.

If Douglas wins the U.S. team trials this week and eventually qualifies for the London Games, she would have no problem wearing a skirt in the first Olympic women's boxing tournament. She agrees with International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) officials who think skirts would make women more easily identifiable in the ring.

A spokesman for AIBA says it never intended to force any female boxers to wear skirts in competition.