With the Olympic games comingto a close I have thoroughly enjoy the friendly and competitive nature of the games. But one thought seems to stay at the back of my mind– the media’s coverage of women’s sports.
It all started with my favorite event, women’s gymnastics. One athlete in particular captured my attention, as I am sure she captured the rest of the country’s as well, Simone Biles. She crashed into the spotlight and hasn’t looked back.
I became curious and started doing my research on Biles. As I scrolled through various social media outlets, I struggled to find comments regarding her athletic career. Instead I found myself sifting through negative comments regarding her physical appearance: her hair, her outfits, her muscular physique.
The 19-year-old has been said to be the greatest gymnast of all time, and yet it seems like the media is more focused on a hair out of place than her creating her own tumbling moves.
These comments led me to look through more about the gymnastics team and I found another gymnast under fire. Gabrielle Douglas, the three-time Olympic gold medalist, was being criticized on her appearance over her tumbling.
The social media backlash drove the gymnast to tears after her final performance in the uneven bars. Douglas explained how confused she was that she had been judged on anything other than her performance.
On the other hand, some successful female athletes find themselves not only being criticized on their outfit choices, but they are also simply being overlooked, despite their high position on the podium.
Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky understands this problem first hand.
Ledecky earned four gold medals and one silver in various swimming events, shattering multiple world records, including some she had previously set herself.
Despite her impressive repertoire, Ledecky still found herself knocked out of the spotlight by the fellow decorated Olympian Michael Phelps in the Bryan-College Station newspaper.
The headline read “Phelps ties for silver in 100 fly” in large and bold letters. Below the headline read “Ledecky sets world record in women’s 800 freestyle” in much smaller print.
While the silver medal finish for Phelps is certainly worth reporting on, shouldn’t an actual gold medalist have a headline of their own as well?
There is also the article headline from the Chicago Tribune regarding the trap shooter Corey Cogdell-Unrein’s bronze medal. The paper referenced her as “Wife of Bears’ lineman” – Cogdell-Unrein’s name was not mentioned in the headline.
There could be a multitude of reasons behind the lack of positive promotion of female athletes, but one of the most likely causes is the lack of female reporters during the Olympics. While 45 percent of the athletes are female, women only make of 21 percent of the press covering the events.
This does not mean men are incapable of writing positive and thoughtful articles about female athletes, but perhaps having a more diverse press corps would give a better perspective regarding women in the games.
As the games continue, it’s time to start tweaking some of the remarks heard in commentary.
Instead of labeling Simone Biles as the Michael Jordan of women’s gymnastics, label her as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
Rather than describe Katie Ledecky’s swimming style as “swimming like a man,” list her achievements, including her five Olympic medals.
The media should start focusing on these athletes’ achievements, on their talent and athleticism, and on their drive to excel in their sports.
Society should not overlook the power and dedication these athletes have, and should start giving credit when it is due.
Mihaela Karst can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @mihaela_jo