The Olympics this summer were a monumental sporting change in history. The 2024 Paris Olympics will be remembered as the first Olympics to reach gender parity: an equal number of female and male athletes participating.
In 1900, women were allowed to compete in the Olympics. Female athletes only made up 2.2 percent of all competitors. Throughout the years, women became increasingly more involved in the Olympics; however, they never reached complete gender equality in athlete participation until this summer.
This summer was a breakthrough for the Olympics, and all women’s sports. With the Olympics being the world’s most significant multi-sports event, a new standard is set for all sports to reach gender parity as well. This achievement is important to the female athletes competing and the viewers who watch the games around the world. The NBC Universal Television network averaged 34.5 million viewers across its platforms during the first three days of the event. This representation of women in the media inspires and supports women around the globe, and breaks down gender stereotypes.
Olympic female wrestler, Amit Elor, spoke about women in sports and the impact they have, “The growth of women’s wrestling makes me feel amazing as somebody who grew up wrestling only boys and feeling so isolated. It’s just amazing to witness all the little girls that are wrestling these days and everything that’s been happening and how quickly it’s been happening too. It’s been a long time coming, but to be part of this movement, and to witness it happening is so motivating and heartwarming.” – (NBC Olympics)
Reaching gender parity was not the only record-breaking moment for women this summer; many female athletes made history for their individual achievements. For example, Katie Ledecky, a USA swimmer, won a total of 14 Olympic medals in her career, making her the most decorated U.S. female Olympian. Amit Elor became the USA’s youngest Olympic gold medalist in wrestling at just 20 years old.
Despite facing health complications in past years, American gymnast icons Simone Biles and Suni Lee had outstanding comebacks. Both are the first Americans to win multiple medals in the gymnastics individual all-around final. Additionally, Lynzee Brown was the first female gymnast to represent Haiti at this year’s Games. Julien Alfred (sprinter) dashed to the finish line to win the first-ever medal for Saint Lucia. A refugee from Cameroon, Cindy Ngama, earned Bronze in the boxing semi-finals which was the first medal the Refugee Olympic Team won. These athletes are not only exceptional in their sports; they also use their platforms as a way to advocate and inspire their audiences.
When Cindy Ngama was asked about her accomplishments, she shared on Olympic.com, “I want to tell the refugees around the world, keep on working hard, keep on pushing yourself and you can accomplish anything.”
After withdrawing from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to her mental health challenges, Simone Biles began opening up on the importance of prioritizing mental health.
Recognized this summer, Bronze medalist in USA Rugby, Ilona Maher used her platform to inspire girls across the globe. Her rise to stardom began during the 2021 Olympics and has grown exponentially on both Instagram and TikTok, amassing a total of six-million followers. Following this newfound popularity, she has advocated for body positivity, inspiring women worldwide to accept their bodies. Her recent cover on the August edition of Sports Illustrated, proved that there is no definition of beauty or set body standard for athletes.
Maher posted a message to all of her followers on Instagram, prior to the 2024 opening ceremony stating, “As the Olympics officially start, I want you all to take a look at all the different body types on display. All body types matter. All body types are worthy from the smallest gymnast to the tallest volleyball player, from a rugby player to a shot-putter and a sprinter. All bodies are beautiful and can do amazing things. So truly see yourself in these athletes and know you can do it, too.” – (NBC New York)
Invented by a mathematician in the 1830’s, the study of Body Mass Index held no purpose in being involved with nutrition; as he was not a scientist, but rather was a practicing mathematician attempting to create a model of the “Average Man.” Over time the model has been proved to be incorrect, “The most common example given against the BMI’s effectiveness is athletes. Using the BMI, most elite athletes would be classified as overweight. That’s because the test doesn’t account for the difference between muscle mass, bone density and body fat.” – (ABC News)
The BMI standard was seen in the Paris Games when a comment was made on Ilona Mahers social media, “I bet that person has a 30 percent BMI.” Ilona Maher responded to the post stating “I do have a BMI of 30, 29.3 to be more exact, and I’ve been considered overweight my whole life.”
The inspiring messages shared by female Olympians this summer have reached the girls on our own campus. Lily Botero ‘25, leader of the Womens of Color Empowered Club shared, “Even people at LFA body shame other girls not even related to the sport that they play, even though all athletes in sports look different and are supposed to look different. I think that people like Ilona Maher gives a platform for girls to kind of shake it off when people body shame you for things that they shouldn’t be talking about.”
Erin Stoney, a nutritionist and soon-to-be LFA Girl’s ice hockey coach, also recognized the impact of female athletes, “You got these women that are leading this charge, and little girls are watching, and there are moms that want their children to know their bodies are different and beautiful.”
While this has been an exciting summer for women around the world, there is always more progress to be made. Women, especially in sports, are always facing barriers whether that manifests in prejudices against their identity such as their race, gender, and body type, as well as lack of equal pay, unequal media coverage…unfortunately, this list goes on.
LFA’s Assistant Director of Athletics, Tanika Golota, expressed the issue of how women are encouraged to compete at a higher level, while also feeling the pressures to stay in a box in order to preserve their femininity.
The femininity of female athletes’ is often discredited in sports based on their appearances and strength. This summer, female boxers faced many issues regarding their gender identity. Algerian women’s boxer, Imane Khelif, received online harassment during the summer’s games regarding her gender. According to SportsKeeda, when her opponent, Angela Carini, quit their match after 46 seconds due to a hard hit from Khelif, spectators began to question her gender and participation in previous events.
Celebrities, including former president Donald Trump, J.K. Rowling, and Logan Paul inserted themselves into the issue and referred to Khelif as a man or transgender. International Olympic Committee spokesman, Mark Adams, spoke out on behalf of Khelif stating this was not a transgender case and that she was, “born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female [and] has a female passport.”
Other female boxers have faced similar backlash and were forced to undergo gender tests in order to prove that they are female. Golota touched on this issue stating, “This opens up another area where it is difficult for women to be competitive and [train] without getting backlash.”
These women facing comments targeting their identities, such as Imane Khelif, show the persisting inequality in the sports industry. A person’s gender should never be questioned based on their talent and physical appearance. A woman’s body type should also never be critiqued by anyone. The 2024 Olympics were an impressive step forward to changing the stigma around women’s athletics. Now it is time for other sports communities to recognize that women in sports are beautiful, versatile, and incredible role models to girls around the world!
