Female Olympian, Male Credit | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

Female Olympian, Male Credit

This is getting old.

12
Female Olympian, Male Credit
Freedom

I may be wrong, but I believe that earning an Olympic medal is extremely hard. Years of training, a natural gift, blood, sweat, and tears are all part of an olympian's journey to be in their best shape to compete. For a male olympian, he seems to get all the credit. For a male that has earned a gold medal, he will seem to get the focus and attention that is deserved: news headlines, interviews, et cetera.

Thus far in Rio, female athletes are not seeming to receive the same attention. They get credit for winning a gold, silver, or bronze medal, but not in the same nature. Often female attention is deflected by the media onto their partner. This has been widely publicized in two such cases so far, and people have lashed out at the ridiculousness of downplaying a female's talent and victory by drawing attention to their husbands.

The Chicago Tribune originally posted an article celebrating Corey Cogdell-Unrein's bronze medal without even including Corey's name in the headline. The headline was simply Wife of a Bears' lineman wins a bronze medal today in Rio Olympics. Instead, she was referred to as wife. A possessive noun that instead put emphasis on her husband, a Bears' lineman. Yes, Corey is wife but she is also Corey Cogdell-Unrein, who earned a bronze medal in women's trap shooting, and it would have been easy enough to just write her name. Thankfully, the Chicago Tribune did change the headline, yet it is frustrating to see that an article about Corey's achievement did not use her name in the headline.


A similar situation happened when Katinka Hosszú broke a world record and won gold in the 400 meter individual medley. Yes, you read that right. She broke a world record and her husband was practically given all the credit. Katinka's husband, Shane Tusup did coach her. Yes, he definitely had an impact on her and her swimming prior to Rio. Yes, he was completely freaking out and expressive while she was swimming. However, the announcers practically gave him credit for teaching her how to swim. (Not really, but you get the point.) All that needs to be said is that Katinka Hosszú just won and olympic gold medal and shattered a world record. Let's leave it at that next time instead of turning it over to the "man responsible" while a woman was victorious.

Olympic athletes, both male and female, are impressive for the insane training and effort that they put into their preparation. For gold, silver, bronze, and all athletes competing, the recognition is all theirs. No coach, parent, or partner competed in their place. Let's hope that the media realizes this, and how their comments impact viewers, readers, and the athletes themselves.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1508
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

913
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

200092
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

20810
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments