Year after year Americans are shocked to see just how good our women’s Olympics hockey team is. The team has consistently placed for years, winning three gold medals since 1998, while the men’s U.S hockey team have won three golds in the entire history of the Olympics, winning their first all the way back in 1960. Now, this normally wouldn’t have been a necessary comparison to make since both teams are very talented, but this year’s men’s hockey team decided a comparison was needed.
Both the mens and womens teams winning should have been a monumental success for America, as it showed off the sheer athleticism of many athletes in the country. But, President Trump and members of the men’s hockey team made sure that wouldn’t happen. After the men’s win, they received a video call from Trump, inviting them to the White House. He then joked that he has to invite the women’s team. To this comment, many players laughed along with him, utterly dismissing the win of the women’s team.
Trump joked that if he didn’t invite the women’s team then he would probably be impeached, a statement that he knew himself was ridiculous. He did in fact invite the women’s team, though they declined his offer, saying that they had scholarly and work events to attend instead. The men’s team attended alone. During this ceremony, Trump gave team goaltender Connor Hellebucky the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award that a civilian is able to receive.
Now, I’m not saying that Hellebucky didn’t deserve his award. What I am saying is this: why, just after winning the most important game of their careers, was their first thought to insult the women’s hockey team? There was no reason for them to turn to misogyny instead of just enjoying such an incredible win.
The women’s team, however, responded in an extremely professional manner. After declining their White House invitation, they congratulated the men on their victory. Although they were insulted, they still remained respectful, which is more than could be said about the men’s team.
This entire situation displayed just how strong women are forced to be, particularly in athletic spheres, in the face of discrimination. Female athletes are so often seen as less than their male counterparts, but are expected to be the bigger person. This was a classic case of the misogyny that plagues sports, and the graceful way that the victims responded to it.
