I'm not really been a huge sports fan anymore, but I still love watching the Olympics. It might be because it brings back nostalgia from when I watched it with my cousin, or the fact that I gain so much pride and unity when watching my country. Even so, I like the thrill of cheering on my country while supporting the athletes that I look up to. But at the same time, I get a little unsettled from some of the events that happen.

I get it. Women get to compete in the Olympics. I should stop complaining right? Yeah, no. The Olympics is seen as an event that brings the world together. Even the great Nelson Mandela once said:

“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.

But yet we still see the institutionalized sexism (and racism) that happens with in how the commentators speak and how the public react.

Even before the Olympics started, NBC had a press conference in which they addressed the time delay for broadcasting. John Miller defended the network by saying that the majority if the people who watch, women, are not interested in the results. He actually said, "The people who watch the Olympics are not particularly sports fans. More women watch the games than men, and for the women, they're less interested in the result and more interested in the journey. It's sort of like the ultimate reality show and miniseries wrapped into one." I'm sorry John Miller but if I wanted to watch reality TV I would just watch the Bachelor.

Let's first talk about swimming phenomenon Katie Ledecky. She is breaking world records while at the age of 19. (The same age I am which makes me feel very bad about myself) She is basically a swimming genius, yet commentators still decided it was best to describe her as swimming like a man.

Thankfully NBC commentator Rowdy Gaines defender her by saying, “Some people say she swims like a man. She doesn’t swim like a man, she swims like Katie Ledecky!” What Gaines said is great and all but he shouldn't have had to correct his coworkers. But this wasn't it. Later NBC decided to not post about her numerous victories and instead share how her nail polish doesn't chip. While, yes, that is pretty great that her nail polish doesn't chip, I think her gold medals are more important.

These sexist comments and articles have been abundant at these games. From Corey Cogdell-Unrein being called "Bear's linemen's wife" instead of her name after winning a bronze medal for trapshooting, to Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszú's success for her gold medal being pointed to only her husband/ coach. These comments may seem minimal. But when put in context with the other sex, suddenly it doesn't seem so funny any more. In a video by the movement "Cover the Athlete" comments are switched and said to men. The outcome is a dubbed montage of horrendous interviews, which ends showing that comments where actually said in real life.

Like I said, I've never really been a big sports fan, but that may because I was too intimidated to start. I use to play sport when I was younger. I wasn't amazing, but I loved playing them. But then high school hit and all my passion in sports just kind of faded. It could just because I wasn't meant to be an athlete, but there was definitely not anything pushing me to continue. At the end of the day, female athletes still have less than 1.3 million opportunities. I'm sure that most of us are still pretty much unimpressed.