he 2016 Rio Olympics left me with both a sense of pride and utter disdain. I am in awe of the amazing accomplishments these athletes have achieved, but furious at how Olympic women have been treated. They have broken records, won countless gold medals and displayed incredible sportsmanship.
Yet somehow they cannot escape the shadow of their male counterparts.
Katinka Hosszú is a Hungarian swimmer who beat the world record in the 400-meter individual competition. After her record-breaking swim, NBC announcer Dan Hicks, called Hosszú’s coach and husband, “the man responsible”.
Somehow, I can’t recall any announcer crediting Phelps’s accomplishments to his coach. Because you don’t do that — you don’t credit an athlete’s performance to those who didn’t actually perform. But God forbid a woman actually receive full credit, right?
Hosszú’s case is only one of many. Corey Cogdell-Urein, a three-time Olympian and bronze medal winner in women’s trap shooting, didn’t even get the courtesy of being named. According to a tweet sent out by the Chicago Tribune she’s simply the “wife of a Bears’ lineman.” The original article, which has since been edited, didn’t even include Cogdell-Urein’s sport. But hey, the Bears’ preseason started that following Thursday so that’s important.
Simone Manuel, a gold medal winner and the first African-American to win an individual swimming gold, gets the honoring headline: “Olympics: Michael Phelps shares historic night with African-American.” That’s right, a gold medal Olympian’s only identifying trait is her race. Let’s not include her name or even her accomplishments. Let’s go with simply “African-American.” San Jose Mercury News has got this headline stuff down.
The media sexism continues with Bryan-College Station Eagle whose top headline was “Phelps ties for silver in 100 fly.” Below that and in smaller print? “Ledecky sets world record in women’s 800 freestyle.” Ledecky is also the first Olympian to win gold in the 200-, 400- and 800- meter freestyle races since Debbie Meyer in 1968. Ledecky won four Olympic gold medals and broke a world record, Phelps tied for silver.
If you’re sensing a pattern here, that’s because there is one.
Even when women do get their moment in the spotlight, it doesn’t necessarily go well. Philadelphia Daily News wrote a great piece on Gabby Douglas, but it wasn’t Douglas whose face graced the paper. Simone Biles was pictured in a graceful leap, not Douglas. Perhaps it was an honest mistake, but, aside from them both being African-American, they look nothing alike. You’d think a major newspaper would check those kinds of things.
Let’s not forget the commentator who said that the U.S. gymnastics team looked like they “might as well be standing in the middle of a mall.” Because a group of young smiling women are only found in a mall? They look like a group of kick-ass gold medalists to me.
This is a societal issue. When women are mentioned, their age, appearance, and marital status are the primary focus, while men get the glory for all their physical achievements.
We, as a society, don’t view women as fast and strong, even when presented with some of the most impressive athletes in the world. We’re fixated on a woman’s appearance and how she can enrich a man’s life. Strength is not a masculine trait, it’s a human trait.
Things need to change. It will take time, but we can make a difference. Stand up for your fellow athletes, call out sexist comments and let the women in your life know that you support them. Not because we are your mothers, daughters and sisters, but because we are humans and we deserve equality.
© Photo Courtesy of Fernando Frazão-Agência Brasil
