If you’re anything like us, you are O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D with the five amazing ladies who make up the gold medal-winning women’s gymnastics team at the Rio Olympics. But did you know that all of them are women?
Yes, you read that right: all five members of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team are women. Take that, glass ceiling!
Simone Byles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian aren’t just some of the most impressive athletes at the Games; each and every one of them is also unapologetically female. While female athletes of the past may have downplayed their femininity, the “Final Five” aren’t afraid to display traditionally feminine qualities such as wearing leotards and incorporating dance into their floor routines and competing in a women’s event. So cool!
But it’s not all fun and games, because the world of competitive sports is still a sexist one. Male gymnasts, for example, don’t have the same requirements for dance, glitz, and smiling that women do. That’s why we were so excited when we found out the U.S. women’s gymnastics team was made up entirely of women. Inspiring!
So just how did five women beat out so many men for their spots on the team? We asked their coach, Márta Károlyi, and it turns out the answer is simpler than you might think.
“They have worked very hard,” she said. “And men have their own team, so they weren’t in the running.” Wow!
The Olympics have come to an end, and we seriously doubt that any team will excite our feminist sides the way the Final Five has. After all, as of Tuesday night, they’re officially the best in the world. And—oh yeah—they’re 100% women.
If only we could say the same for the men’s team!
