Cynisca, princess of Sparta was born in the late 5th century BCE and lived into the 4th century BCE. Cynisca is famous for holding the prestigious title of being the first woman to win an Olympic event in history - during a period when women were not allowed to compete or even spectate the event, under punishment of death. She accomplished this by exploiting a loophole in the rules, and her victories paved the way for other women to be able to compete in the Olympics for the first time in hundreds of years.

So sit back and enjoy a dive down the ancient Olympics rabbit hole featuring a debate on partridges in pear trees, a dodgy microphone, and three men interrupting a women - who happens to be the only qualified person on a show trying to find the wildest story from the world of sport.

Sources:

https://www.olympics.com/en/news/five-historic-firsts-for-female-olympians

https://www.olympics.com/en/news/12-july-1912-fanny-durack-becomes-the-first-female-olympic-swimming-champion

https://www.jstor.org/stable/43610326

https://www.thoughtco.com/women-at-the-olympic-games-120123

https://www.olympics.com/ioc/ancient-olympic-games/spectators

Women in Ancient Greece - World History Encyclopedia

Spartan Women - World History Encyclopedia

Collections: This. Isn’t. Sparta. Part III: Spartan Women – A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry

The Lion of Sparta: Agesilaus II and the Impossible Empire | by Leslie | Time Chronicles | Medium Scanlon, Thomas F. (6 April 2004). "Games for Girls". Archaeology. Archaeological Institute of America.

Pausanias, Description of Greece, Elis 1, chapter 6

Pherenike of Rhodes: The Ancient Greek Mom Who Risked All to Guarantee Her Son's Olympic Glory - The Pappas Post

Pherenike the Female Olympic Trainer - World History Encyclopedia

https://theconversation.com/hidden-women-of-history-kyniska-the-first-female-olympian-123909

https://www.thoughtco.com/women-at-the-olympic-games-120123

Pausanias, the first travel writer: a historical perspective | Journal of Travel Medicine | Oxford Academic

https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2021/07/26/alluring-anecdotes-about-the-olympic-games/

Chariot racing - Ancient Olympic Games IvO 160 - PHI Greek Inscriptions ToposText P17103coll10_1784.pdf

https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/downloads/j6731770d?locale=en

Presenters:

James Whybrow

Ben Whybrow

Carlin Sheaves

Zoe Behrendt

Music and cover art:

Zoe Behrendt