To be an athlete it takes great dedication, time management, focus, discipline, drive, and self-confidence...qualities one embodies to be committed to a sport. In the last 100 years, gender roles of men and women have changed greatly in athletics. Women have come so far challenging stereotypes and breaking barriers. More women now are participating in sports that were once male-dominant, succeeding and dominating while becoming role models. However, it's difficult to feel empowered being a female athlete considering the media world continues to idolize male competitors. Having been once an athlete in my earlier years, sexism is way too prevalent in today's society and bothersome to me. Gender roles, marital status, appearance, and many other discouraging factors should not define an athlete, but their accomplishments and raw talent.
With that said, the 2016 Rio Olympics are in town. For those of you who are not familiar, the Summer Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event. More than 11,000 athletes from 207 nations all over the world are participating in the 28 Olympic Games, and the media coverage has been extremely disappointing.
It's only been a week into the Olympic Games and NBC along with many other big time news outlets are being condemned due to their broadcaster's sexist commentary on women's sports.
Here are the most sexist things that has happened at the 2016 Rio Olympics SO FAR.
The Chicago Tribune addressed two-time Olympian bronze medal winner, Corey Cogdell, as "Wife of Bears' lineman". Corey Cogdell. Her name is Corey Cogdell. Instead of being acknowledged by her name, one of the best trap shooters in the world is bring referred to as "wife". I guess marital status is more important than strength, agility, and speed.
Daily Mail referred to U.S swimmer, Katie Ledecky, as the "female Michael Phelps", after breaking her own world record and winning gold in the women's 400-meter freestyle. Male athletes should not be used to describe female athletes. Katie Ledecky is not the 'Michael Phelps' of female swimming, Katie Ledecky is the Katie Ledecky of female swimming. For the commentators reportedly saying "she swims like a man", you are mistakenly wrong, she swims like Katie Ledecky.
NBC's commentator, Dan Hicks, is under fire after the sexist comment he made about Hungarian competitive swimmer, Katinka Hosszú. After winning gold and smashing a world record in the 400-meter individual medley, the camera panned over to her husband in the stands, as Hick says "there's the man responsible". Really? The husband of a three-time Olympic champion is going to be credited for her accomplishments? Really? What about all of the hard work, dedication, and countless hours of training that got her to where she is? Such ignorance.
Oh wait, there's more...
BBC Africa tweeted in regards to the Egypt vs. Germany volleyball game with the cringe-worthy headline "Bikini vs. Burka", when one of the Egyptian competitors wore a hijab. Athletic capability does not depend on cultural background. Clothing does not does not have to do with athletic capability.
During the women's weightlifting event, an SBS announcer from a South Korean television network, made a remark about a 28-year-old Vietnamese judoka saying "old, for a woman".
Olympic sexism is truly harming young girls. There needs to be equal representation of men and women in sports and outside of sports. Olympic coverage is undercutting and discrediting athlete's achievements and is posing as a huge problem. Women should be recognized for their own athletic achievements. Things like age, marital status, the men in their lives, appearance, and other taxing stereotypes should not be how we should view female athletes. We need to practice educating future generations on what it actually means to be an athlete.
The definition of a female athlete needs to change.
