By Samantha Campion, Aug. 27, 2024
The American women accounted for 65% of the country’s gold medals at the Summer Olympics held in Paris, earning 26 of the 40 total gold medals awarded to Team USA to tie with China for most overall gold medals according to ESPN.
The appreciation and support for women’s sports has grown since the development of Title IX of Education Amendments in 1972, preventing federally funded institutions from discriminating against woman in education and athletics by mandating equal opportunities for both sexes.
NCAA women’s volleyball and basketball have become the catalyst to the women’s sports movement, from sold out arenas to record breaking viewership on mainstream media channels like ESPN and ABC.
Nebraska volleyball set a world record for women’s sport attendance last fall, drawing 92,003 fans to their annual volleyball day held outside at their football facility Memorial Stadium.
For the first time ever, the women’s March Madness title game drew more viewers than the men’s, averaging 18.7 million viewers. This sparked conversations around revenue sharing for women’s basketball.
A new era of sports is upon us, turning the heads of sports spectators as women earn recognition and respect across all levels. The Olympics helped prove that.
For the fourth consecutive Summer Olympics, Team USA sent more women than men to the Summer Olympics, featuring 314 woman and 278 men.
Building on this milestone, Team USA Women made history at the Paris Olympics. Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record in the 400m hurdles, rugby won their first-ever gold medal, and Annette Echikunwoke was the first American woman to win a medal in the hammer throw.
The most decorated U.S. gymnast Simone Biles claimed the women’s vault gold medal, and Jade Carey earned the bronze medal, the first time the U.S. has won two medals in women’s vault at the same Olympics.
Swimmer Katie Ledecky tied for the most Olympic gold medals won by a female after she dominated the 800m freestyle for her ninth career gold medal – finishing more than a second ahead of the silver medalist and setting a new Olympic record.
Ledecky became only the seventh Olympian to win four consecutive gold medals in the same event, establishing herself as the most decorated U.S. female Olympian of all–time with 14 total medals.
USA women’s basketball won their eighth straight gold medal to make history for the longest Olympic gold medal streak.
For years, women’s sports weren’t given the platform they have now; young girls weren’t able to see strong and successful woman portrayed in sports media. Now they see women representing Team USA on the world stage.
USA Women’s indoor volleyball took home silver as their seventh Olympic medal, the most of any country in this sport. The impact of their success extends throughout the volleyball community.
Cal Poly Pomona’s volleyball alumna Kaitlan Tucker attended the USA Collegiate National Training Program in the 2023 spring semester where she had the opportunity to learn from players on the National team about what it takes to be an Olympian.
“I’ve looked up to these women for their determination and strength,” Tucker said. “They have pushed for growth around the sport of volleyball and showed that woman can be strong and feminine at the same time.”
The U.S. Women’s Soccer National Team is back on top as the No. 1 team in the FIFA World rankings after their dominant performance in Paris. Even with the second-youngest starting lineup in history for the USWNT in a gold medal match, the team claimed their first gold medal since 2012 behind newly appointed head coach Emma Hayes.
As the only female coach on the roster, CPP’s women’s soccer assistant coach Emilee Tominovic admires Hayes for her national success in a male-dominated coaching industry and noted the impact of seeing woman making the big decisions.
Tominovich joined the coaching staff last season, helping the Broncos win their first CCAA Regular Season title in CPP history.
“I feel like she is really confident in what she is good at and then she fills roles within her staff for the things that she needs,” Tominovich said. I think her greatest strength is probably her player management and emotional intelligence.”
Gabby Thomas, the 200m gold medalist, earned a neurobiology degree from Harvard before pursuing a Master’s of Epidemiology from the University of Texas. When she is not training for the Olympics, she spends her time volunteering at a health care clinic.
CCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year Ayana Fields from CPP women’s track and field is a 16-time D2 All-American in multiple events who recently earned a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology.
With dreams of competing for Team USA at the Olympics one day, Fields felt encouraged watching the hard work and dedication from women like Thomas who value success in athletics and academics.
“Women’s sports differ from men’s not just in rules or gameplay, but in the unique challenges we face — whether it’s managing menstrual cycles, returning after childbirth or standing up against adversity,” Fields said. “The resilience, skill and passion that define women’s sports make it truly inspiring.”
The first Olympic Village nursery launched in Paris this summer. Retired track and field Olympian Allyson Felix partnered with Pampers to offer mothers nappies, wipes, and a space to bond with their children.
Women’s sports are still miles behind men’s in equal opportunities and funding. The NCAA announced a new media rights deal with ESPN that will broadcast its postseason championships excluding men’s basketball and football.
According to the AP News, the NCAA’s media consultant predicted women’s basketball accounted for 57% of the value of the deal. The sport remains undervalued as the NCAA refuses to separate it from all the other championships, but the growth has solidified women are capable of more than they have received credit for.
“I think it goes to show that if you invest in women’s sports, you get a return on that investment,” Tominovich said.
Feature image courtesy of Teresa Acosta
