U.S. Women Athletes Overshadow Men In Medal Count At Tokyo Olympics
U.S. female athletes are dominating the U.S. male athletes in the current Olympic medal count during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. As it stands, nearly 60 percent of all U.S. medals, from gold to bronze, have been won by female athletes. As the games are coming to an end this weekend, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be the fourth consecutive Summer Olympics where U.S. women have won more medals than men. Also, it will be the third straight Summer Games in which women outnumber men in Team USA.
The reason why women are dominating in the medal count is simply due to Title IX. Title IX states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” This has given women athletes an equal opportunity to participate in sports under any education institution.
After winning the gold medal for beach volleyball against Australia, April Ross explained in a few words the significance Title IX has had on her athletic career.
“Without Title IX, I don’t think that I would be here,” Ross said.
VIA USA TODAY
Seven-time gold medalist swimmer Katie Ledecky expressed her thoughts about the influence Title IX has had on women athletes.
“Title IX has had a huge impact on women participating in sports and the evidence of that is clear with the results of women at the Tokyo Olympics,” Ledecky wrote. “It’s a tremendous reflection of, and gives me incredible appreciation for, the work of Billie Jean King, Donna de Varona and others in seeking the passage of Title IX.”
VIA USA TODAY
During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there were 24 more male athletes on the U.S. team than female athletes. The Beijing Olympics were the first time U.S. women won more medals than U.S. men. The 2012 London Olympics marked the first time there were more women on the Team USA than men. Women also won 58 medals, while the men won 45 medals during the 2012 Olympics. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, there were 291 women to 263 men on Team USA, with women winning about 50 percent of the medals to 46 percent for the men.
With more women medaling and participating in the Tokyo Olympics, it is expected for the trend to continue in future Olympic games.
“These outstanding performances by America’s women’s team in Tokyo are the tip of the iceberg of women’s potential,” Title IX attorney Nancy Hogshead-Makar said.
VIA USA TODAY
The most recent American woman to win a medal includes Allyson Felix winning bronze in the 400-meter final and earning her tenth Olympic medal in her fifth straight Olympics. Also, Molly Seidel became one of three U.S. women to win an Olympic medal in her third marathon run. After her first marathon run was just in the Olympic trials last year, Seidel won a bronze medal on Friday, August 6.
Watch the U.S. women’s basketball team play against Japan in their seventh consecutive gold medal game on Saturday, August 7 at 10:30 p.m. ET, NBC. If the women’s basketball team wins gold, it will be the team’s seventh straight gold medal and 55th consecutive win since the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The game can be streamed live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.
Vendetta Sports Media is sponsored by Monkey Knife Fight, the fastest-growing DFS site in the industry. MKF’s unique style and gameplay make betting fun and easy. Use our promo code ‘VENDETTA’ or use the link below to get a 100% instant match on any deposit and let them know that we sent you!
