Australian Sports Commission Chair John Wylie said women's sport is a “rising force” that is “under-appreciated” by the corporate world in Australia, according to Rupert Guinness of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. As part of its Australia's Winning Edge '12-22 initiative launched last year as a “comeback plan” following the London Olympics, the ASC "set a target to have 20 world champions this year." Also, under its qualifying criteria, "they have so far tallied 18 athletes or teams from 13 sports -- as well as a number of 'notable performances.'" Wylie lamented "the lack of recognition and support women's sport receives in Australia, especially following the success by Australian females this year." Wylie: "One of the great under-appreciated stories of Australian sport is that there is a rising force in the form of female sport. If you look at the percentage of [Olympic] medals Australia won in 2000 -- the Sydney Olympics -- we won 38 percent of our medals from female athletes." Wylie, a Melbourne-based managing director and head of corporate advisory of the global financial advisory and asset management firm Lazard, "believes that women's sport is dangling like a carrot for corporate Australia to associate itself with." Wylie said, "The message we would give to Australian companies and broadcasters is that there is a massive opportunity in front of them. We think Australian companies and broadcasters should jump on the opportunity and get behind women's sport because it's a rising force" (SMH, 10/16).
