Steve Jones MBE recently became the latest Welsh athlete to receive a statue in his hometown, honoring his achievements as a former world marathon record holder. However, while Jones's recognition may be well-deserved, his statue unveiling has reignited discussions about the glaring absence of sportswomen among Wales's commemorated athletes. Jones now joins 17 other Welsh sportsmen who have been immortalized in stone, bronze, or steel across Wales, but remarkably, not a single Welsh sportswoman has received similar recognition.
This gender disparity in public monuments is not a new concern. In 2015, author Dr. Jasmine Donahaye called for a national debate about why women are not represented as widely as men in Welsh public statues. While there are statues of Queen Victoria in Wrexham and Boudicca in Cardiff City Hall, many argue that there are insufficient monuments to women who have made significant contributions to Welsh culture and society.
Phil Davies, Chair of the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame, acknowledged this imbalance while praising Jones as the latest in a line of "stand-out world class performers and great men" to be honored. "The time has come for some of the great Welsh sportswomen to be recognized in a similar fashion," Davies stated. He emphasized that while it was wonderful to see Steve Jones unveil his statue and witness so many inspirational Welsh sportsmen honored, "now is the time to start the conversation about adding some of our outstanding women to the list."
Davies highlighted the explosion in women's sports during this century, noting that Wales now has many more world and Olympic champions to consider from various sports disciplines. "Surely the time has come to honor the likes of Kirsty Wade, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Nicole Cooke and Jayne Ludlow from the past," he said. He also mentioned contemporary champions, adding, "That's before we get on to the more modern day greats such as Jade Jones, Lauren Price, Elinor Barker, Hannah Mills, Emma Finucane and Jess Fishlock."
The tradition of honoring Welsh sportsmen with statues began in 1982 when Sir Gareth Edwards became the first, with a bronze statue erected in the heart of St. David's Shopping Centre in Cardiff. Edwards paved the way for many rugby players to receive similar honors. Ray Gravell's statue stands outside Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli, while Edwards's Barbarians teammate from the famous 1973 victory against New Zealand, Phil Bennett, is honored in his hometown of Felinfoel.
Rugby continues to dominate Wales's sporting statue landscape. Ken Jones, another former Wales and British & Irish Lions star who also won an Olympic silver medal in the 4x100m relay, is cast in bronze in Blaenavon. The sport's representation extends beyond rugby union, as Brynmawr honored former rugby league player and coach Roy Francis in 2023. Additionally, legends Gus Risman, Sir Billy Boston, and Clive Sullivan stand proudly as part of the Cardiff Codebreakers statue in Cardiff Bay, with Boston also having statues outside Wembley Stadium and in Wigan.
Boxing has also received significant recognition, with five Welsh boxers honored with statues across the country. Three of these - Eddie Thomas, Howard Winstone, and Johnny Owen - can be found in Merthyr Tydfil. Former British heavyweight champion Dave Pearce stands on the banks of the River Usk in Newport, while Jim Driscoll's statue has graced Cardiff's Custom House Street since 1997.
Football is represented through club legends honored outside their respective stadiums. Swansea City celebrates former Swans and Wales forward Ivor Allchurch, who scored 50 more goals for the club than any other player, while Cardiff City honors their FA Cup-winning captain Fred Keenor, depicted holding the trophy. Olympic swimming champion Paulo Radmilovic, who won four gold medals between 1908 and 1920, is commemorated inside the Swansea Leisure Centre.
With Steve Jones's recent addition, Welsh athletics now has two representatives among the statued athletes, joining 18th-century runner Guto Nyth Bran, who inspired the annual Nos Galan race. However, as Davies and others point out, the absence of any female athletes in this commemorative landscape represents a significant oversight that reflects broader issues of gender recognition in sports history and public memory.
