The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

Dominating the Olympic Scene, One Woman at a Time

What do American Lindsey Vonn and Russian Alexander Ovechkin have in common? Probably not much, but this February in Vancouver, they both will be competing for a chance to win a gold medal for their country.

Vonn, a two-time world champion for skiing, will compete for the U.S. team and will look for her chance to grab gold in the alpine skiing event. Meanwhile, Ovechkin will be busy leading the high-powered Russian national hockey team to a gold medal.

The Olympics bring both male and female athletes together on the same stage, which is a rarity even in professional sports. Even when there are female events, male athletes generally shadow over females in every sport. But every two years when either the winter or summer Olympics roll around, people everywhere cheer on any athlete, male or female, who represent their country. Vonn is one of those special Olympians who can grab multiple gold medals and is a force to be reckoned within her sport of alpine skiing. People more or less only care about the number of medals their country has won; a medal is a medal no matter who won. Like many female athletes, Vonn will have the entire world watching and cheering for medals in every event.

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In the past, famous female athletes have highlighted the Olympic scene. Among them are figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, swimmer Helene Madison and speed-skater Bonnie Blair. These women have not only been a part of Olympic history; they have also dominated it. As a result, these women have earned a place along with many worthy male athletes in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. No other professional hall of fame institution has both genders represented side-by-side.

Rarely have women ever been promoted in the world of sports in the way offered by the winter and summer Olympics. This makes the ancient games much more special to enjoy and respect. In at least a few Olympic sports, the women’s events attract more viewers than the men’s events. For once, events such as figure skating, volleyball and gymnastics have placed the female athletes as the center of attention. And with every Olympic cycle, the number of famous women athletes has risen.

The sport of snowboarding is highlighted by the runs of U.S. favorite Shaun White. Coming up in Vancouver, Hannah Teter will have a chance to grab some of that spotlight as she begins her quest for gold. Additionally, in the sport of alpine skiing, mostly male athletes have attracted viewers, but Vonn, like Teter, hopes to earn her country’s respect by simply dominating the slopes. These two women, like so many others, have allowed for the real magic of the games: the balance between male and female athletes. As a result, young girls and boys across the globe look up to their own unique athlete. That’s why the Olympics are so special to the hearts of sports fans everywhere.

With the winter games coming up, the fire is being lit once again around the world with both men and women taking the same stage. The winter games has events featuring the incredible speed, precision and creativity of its athletes. The equal competitiveness of women and men alike should make this Olympic cycle memorable for the years to come.

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