The 2026 Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics took place in Milan this past month. From sports ranging from curling to figure skating, the Olympics truly had something for everyone. One incredible female athlete from Italy, Francesca Lollobrigida, broke the Olympic record for speed skating, her time being three minutes and 54.28 seconds for the 3,000m. The women at the Olympics this year were truly phenomenal, including figure skater Alysa Liu. From her motivational attitude about sports to her awe-inspiring routines, she has continued to amaze and captivate her audience. Liu and Lollobrigida are just a couple of the names on everyone’s lips these past couple weeks.
The USA Women’s Hockey Team
With the motto “We are part of something bigger than ourselves,” you cannot help but root for these women. Their incredible grit will continue to influence generations of women to come. One player, Hilary Knight, stuck out to me. Not only is she a five-time Olympic medalist, but she also owns all three scoring milestone records: goals, assists, and points. This is in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s Hockey World Championships history. She hung up her skates following her team’s win, making her the most decorated American hockey player in Olympic history. The women’s hockey team has medaled in every Olympics they have attended. Their eight medals are: three gold medals, four silver, and one bronze. This incredible record is not matched by their male counterpart, the U.S Men’s Hockey Team.
The USA Men’s Hockey Team
The men’s team joined the women’s team in obtaining the gold medal in their game against Canada. It was an exhilarating game, with points scored by Matt Boldy and Jack Hughes. For the first time in what seems like a very long time, it felt like every American was united. All of us chanted together as both of our hockey teams brought home gold medals. Then, the videos got released.
The video shows the U.S Men’s Hockey Team partying with an unlikely friend, FBI director Kash Patel. With Toby Keith’s song “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” playing in the background, the team (and Patel) are seen singing along and drinking beer. The next clip shows a call with President Donald Trump, personally inviting the team to the White House. There is talk about a military plane for transportation and the medals that they will be receiving. President Trump then pivots the conversation to his favorite punchline, women. He talked about how he will have to invite the women’s team or he would be impeached. There is an uproar of laughter in the video as women’s sports is once again seen as a joke.
“Locker room talk” or sexism?
Diminishing this interaction to “locker room talk” or “boys will be boys,” signals acceptance. Women have been consistently fighting this metaphorical glass ceiling for decades. The normalization by people, including the president, of this sexist language is sadly nothing new. This shows that even winning something as spectacular as an Olympic gold medal doesn’t save you from your success being reduced. Women’s sports has been a running joke since its creation. These actions from the president and the men’s hockey team are showing generations everywhere that it is okay to make fun of women. Of the 12 gold medals won by the U.S, eight were won by women. Of all the medals won by the U.S, 21 of them were won by women. Women are not only significant but also vital to sports.
Public’s Reaction
Upon seeing the video, people were outraged. To minimize the incredible win of the women’s team was terrible. The women’s team ended up declining Trump’s invitation to the White House. Rapper Flavor Flav stepped up. He invited the team to Las Vegas, where they could properly celebrate their accomplishment. This surprising, but still appreciated invitation was accepted. The response and actions following this type of scandal are incredibly important. It has the ability to showcase the men’s true feelings about the women’s team. While an apology has the chance to take accountability, silence can show them backing up their sexist actions. Although a couple of the men’s players have expressed regret, there has yet to be a team wide apology. During actor Connor Storrie’s monologue on this past episode of SNL, he brought out two of the male hockey players. While the cheers were mild, they were nowhere close to how loud the audience got when Knight and Megan Keller joined them on stage. This type of support is so important because it shows the public’s refusal of sexism in the United States.
Beyond the Ice
Women’s sports have been and always will be important. Hearing the words from the President followed by the laughter from the team was nothing short of heartbreaking. These past couple weeks, there has been a sense of patriotism in the air. But then, of course, it was crushed by the constant sexism exuding from the president and his followers, a frustration echoed in Taylor Swift’s song, “The Man”: “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man.”
Although at times it can feel hopeless, I think there is nothing stronger than a “nasty” woman and her community. Continue to uplift and support your fellow women, and happy National Women’s History Month!