Team U.S.A.’s female Olympians have dominated this year’s Paris Games, outpacing male athletes in the medal count. At the close of this year’s Olympic games, 2024 continues to celebrate female athleticism. Over half of the 113 medals won by U.S. Olympians were from female athletes.
Athletes like Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles have been making headlines. Ledecky became the most decorated female U.S. Olympian in the Games’ history with 14 medals. The women’s rugby team also scored a medal—the first since 1924 for the women’s U.S. team. And, the US women’s soccer team scored gold, beating Brazil 1-0.
Outside of the Olympics, female athletes all over the country have been making waves. Caitlin Clark, the famous Iowa Hawkeyes turned Indiana Fever basketball player had an incredible year, drawing crowds just to watch her play and change women’s collegiate basketball forever.
Female athletes are being celebrated like never before, and their athleticism and talent are finally being recognized by sports fans.
In the sports world, women’s sports are almost always evaluated against male sports. They draw in less crowds, less revenue and are therefore culturally considered second-grade to male athletes. This year, they’re proving that that biased assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.
Overseas, female athletes are also turning out, and proving the value of women’s sports everywhere. Barcelona soccer player Aitana Bonmati led her team to victory in the World Cup, and countless other matches. She’s now considered one of the best players of all time, winning the Ballon d’Or, or the “Golden Ball,” the highest achievement in soccer that recognizes exceptional players every year.
Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh beat the women’s world record this year and won the gold at the Paris Olympics. If that’s not already impressive, the athlete was also forced to move cities countless times during training because of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Another Olympic athlete, Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez, defied the odds by competing at seven months pregnant. Though she didn’t win, she proved that pregnancy doesn’t keep women from achievement—or their careers.
These athletes are a testament to the potential of women’s sports, and they deserve to be as respected and celebrated as their male counterparts.
Athleticism is constantly being portrayed as a strictly male attribute—despite the fact that there are tons of talented, record-shattering female athletes. Venus and Sirena Williams, as well as recently Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, have all been accused of having excess testosterone, or being biologically male, because of their extreme athleticism.
Sexism in sports is so incredibly apparent, and the fan base of male sports usually doesn’t hold back on putting their sports misogyny on display. However, more and more these women are smashing their barriers and proving that women do and will always have a place in sports.
In the Olympics and beyond, female athletes are constantly proving that women can compete at the highest level—and win. So far, 2024 has been the year for women’s sports, and as the Olympics come to a close, the culture of women’s sports will be forever changed.
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