--- title: How Olympic Sexism Is Harming Young Girls description: Olympic commentators regularly focus on the athletes’ looks instead of zeroing in on their achievements. canonical: https://time.com/4450633/how-olympic-sexism-is-harming-young-girls/ author: Michael Kimmel article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-12T17:49:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:15.697Z article:section: Ideas og:title: How Olympic Sexism Is Harming Young Girls og:description: 6 in 10 girls stop doing what they love because they feel bad about their looks og:url: https://time.com/4450633/how-olympic-sexism-is-harming-young-girls/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0fdb1c6df24662e1/6988a235196cf4fa9603cd4b/swimmers.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4250 og:image:height: 2391 og:image:alt: Katie Ledecky, Maya Dirado, Leah Smith and Allison Schimdt of United States pose with their Gold medals from the Women's 4 x 20m Freestyle Relay on Day 5 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 10, 2016. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Olympic Sexism Is Harming Young Girls twitter:description: 6 in 10 girls stop doing what they love because they feel bad about their looks twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0fdb1c6df24662e1/6988a235196cf4fa9603cd4b/swimmers.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Olympic Sexism Is Harming Young Girls > Sponsored content. 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A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: Simone Biles and a Legacy of Success in U.S. Gymnastics [Watch (HLS stream): Simone Biles and a Legacy of Success in U.S. Gymnastics](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/hecmZm4m.m3u8) (3:37)  _Published 2016-07-26. 20 years their record-breaking gold medal win, the members of the 1996 gymnastics team dubbed "The Magnificent Seven" offer advice to the sport's new star, Simone Biles, and look at how U.S. gymnastics has changed over the years._ by [Michael Kimmel](https://time.com/author/michael-kimmel/) ## Michael Kimmel Michael Kimmel is a sociologist and the author of "Manhood in America: A Cultural History and Angry White Men." Aug 12, 2016 5:49 PM UTC  Katie Ledecky, Maya Dirado, Leah Smith and Allison Schimdt of United States pose with their Gold medals from the Women's 4 x 20m Freestyle Relay on Day 5 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 10, 2016. Katie Ledecky, Maya Dirado, Leah Smith and Allison Schimdt of United States pose with their Gold medals from the Women's 4 x 20m Freestyle Relay on Day 5 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 10, 2016. Ian MacNicol—Getty Images by [Michael Kimmel](https://time.com/author/michael-kimmel/) ## Michael Kimmel Michael Kimmel is a sociologist and the author of "Manhood in America: A Cultural History and Angry White Men." Aug 12, 2016 5:49 PM UTC There’s a saying that all press is good press. But if you’ve read any headlines the last few days, especially if you’re a woman, you might disagree. In women’s sports, media coverage has long been rampant with sexism. Reporters and commentators regularly focus on the athletes’ looks or view them only in comparison to men instead of zeroing in on their achievements. The latest examples are no exception. From [female athletes’ wins attributed to their husbands](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rio-2016-sexism-media%5Fus%5F57a840dbe4b056bad215f03c) to comparing [women’s achievements to being “like a man”](http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx%5Ffactor/2016/08/08/are%5Fthe%5Folympics%5Fsexist%5Fon%5Fwives%5Fbroadcast%5Fdelays%5Fand%5Fswimming%5Flike%5Fa%5Fman.html) to criticism of women’s calm demeanor as being [“just standing around at the mall,”](http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/08/female-athletes-at-the-olympics-face-sexism.html) female athletes continue to be disparaged in the media—for things other than their athletic skills. But it hasn’t stopped there. We also get sexist headlines like “[19 Nakedest Rhythmic Gymnastics Costumes](http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/news/g6033/naked-rhythmic-gymnastics-uniforms/)” and “[hottest athlete](http://www.maxim.com/women/hottest-women-of-rio-olympics-2016-7)” lists. In a newer version of this sexism, male athletes have been targeted as well—including online slideshows of “sexy” swimmers and excessive coverage of a shirtless flag-bearer, to name a few. But for men, there’s a certain luxury in knowing they have already gained respect as athletes. Plus, in our society, men are rarely just valued for their looks. So I wasn’t surprised when the U.S. male gymnastics team even went so far as to [_ask_ to be objectified](http://www.wsj.com/articles/rio-2016-u-s-male-gymnasts-want-to-be-objectified-1470625110)—because they know that’s where fame, and by extension, fortune comes from. And unlike female athletes, men don’t need to constantly prove themselves. Just look at the way sports figures are portrayed when they pose in a photo shoot: male athletes are shot in ways that play up their athletic skills, while 64% of female athletes in the media are photographed in sexy, passive poses, one [study](http://www.academia.edu/6448447/Covering%5Fwomens%5Fsport%5FAn%5Fanalysis%5Fof%5FSports%5FIllustrated%5Fcovers%5Ffrom%5F1987-2009%5Fand%5FESPN%5FThe%5FMagazine%5Fcovers%5Ffrom%5F1998-2009%5FINTRODUCTION) found. A relentless focus on appearance reduces the women’s worth to how their bodies look, and tells us that, despite their strength on the field, female athletes are really just there for men’s consumption and approval. And this only builds on a problem women already perceive: [Research](http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-dove-research-finds-beauty-pressures-up-and-women-and-girls-calling-for-change-583743391.html) from Dove found that 7 in 10 women believe women who are beautiful have greater opportunities in life. Can you blame them? Sexism in sports isn’t a new thing. But what’s promising is the way women and men are reacting to it. The public is starting to push back, and men are recognizing the negative effects of our learned predilection of looking at women as objects and body parts instead of people. We all have to get to a place where we watch female athletes—gymnasts, swimmers, skaters and hockey players—and think: “Her performance is incredible.” We’re now cheering on our daughters from the sidelines as they play sports in ways that their grandmothers would never have been able to. Research from Dove found that [6 in 10 girls](https://mic.com/articles/34125/60-of-girls-have-quit-a-sport-because-of-their-looks#.M2To5c5UY) stop doing the things they love including opting out of sports activities because they feel badly about their looks. These stats can’t continue if we’re going to create a solution. Progress in this area is being made, and [we can continue it by taking action](http://www.dovehaveyoursay.com/). Isn’t it time we all did our part to keep the next generation of girls in the game and winning? _Kimmel is Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities at Stony Brook University and author of_ [Manhood in America](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199781559/?tag=timecom-20). _He_ _has consulted for Dove Men+Care and partnered with Dove on its #MyBeautyMySay campaign_ ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] You can tell in a gymnast when they've got something. [ MUSIC ] When I was coaching I knew her as a younger gymnast She always had this incredible talent, that everybody looked at her and said, that kid's gonna do something big someday. [ MUSIC ] A member of the 1996 Olympic gold medal Team, Dominique Moceanu. Every four years, there's always that emotional tug because I know what it feels like, what these girls are going through. And of course, it all kinda comes back. No American gymnastics team [ UNKNOWN ] Men or women has won a team gold medal in a fully attended olympics. Take a look at history. Magnificent seven is the first US Women's gymnastics team to win gold and change history in the landscapes of gymnastics forever. [ MUSIC ] The sport's changed tremendously actually in 20 years. The equipment has changed. There's so much more springs and padding. It's safer than ever. But then the tricks are More difficult than ever. You just wonder, how many more twists? How many more flips can they do before they hit the ground. You actually see more tricks done within a routine versus back in our generation it was a little more artistry, little more dance, and showmanship. 20 years ago that every little form mattered, every stick mattered. The sport has gone more towards tricks. Extreme gymnastics. But I think some of that art form has been taken away. Now if you can do both which Simon [ UNKNOWN ] has a lot of both, that's a great combination. That's like the dream. [ MUSIC ] She has whatever that perfect mix of incredible difficulty but also incredible consistency, and artistry, and the technique. It's just kind of all bawled up into one. And she just Kind of can't lose. Simone is one in a billion. She is in a league of her own when it comes to the level of difficulty her legs can handle. She stands out because of her power. When she was younger she would do big skills that you're like a kid that small and That young shouldn't be able to do those things right now. I think Simon [ UNKNOWN ] is pretty special. She's just won three back to back world championship titles and now is definitely the front runner for the Olympic games. And that will be the first time that's ever happened. When you can have consistency and you can rely On a girl to hit under pressure you want that person on your team. And that's why she's been undefeated for three years. There has never been anyone more heavily favored for the Olympic Games All Around title than Simone Biles. [ MUSIC ] My advice to any of these girls is really enjoy the experience. You've worked so hard all of these years. Just enjoy every moment because before you know it it's 20 years later and you'd love to do it all over again. Relax, you're ready, you're prepared, believe in yourself, and just do what you do. 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