Shure as wrote:
You think "Good for them for fighting" was a compliment? OK, it was what one would call a "left handed compliment." Like patting them on the head. "Nice try girls." "Good for them for trying to keep up with me but I knew it was a losing effort because there's no way they could touch me." I have a daughter and she listened to the interview. Girls are much more subtle in their digs than guys are and read more into words. My daughter said it was a crap thing to say.
I am actually glad you wrote this. I had suspected that there was some latent chauvinistic, gender bias at play here with you and the rest of the detractors on this thread.
I am usually the last guy to play a gender card but if a male athlete said the same thing "I knew I could win from 600 meters out but good for those guys for trying to beat me," it would be viewed in a totally different light. Male athletes call their shots, predict victories, stare down their opponents, talk about the size of their balls, etc and we cheer for them.
Women athletes are somehow how supposed to win, stay beautiful, be nice and then get out of the way and shut up when they are no longer relevant.
I have no doubt your daughter agreed with you.