The 2024 Paris Olympic Games officially opened last month and is praised as being the most gender-inclusive Olympics to date.
The Paris 2024 Olympics boasts a huge step in female equality by having an equal amount of male and female athletes. The historic sports event has the ability to shine a light on the incredible talent of athletes.
In the past women’s events have often been overshadowed by the media, with their attention instead focusing on the men’s competitions. However, the Paris 2024 Olympics has set out specific portrayal guidelines to eliminate any gender bias within media coverage.
The International Olympic Committee Portrayal Guidelines aim not only to empower women in sports but also to show the diversity of these women from nationality, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
Giving female athletes more visibility in sporting events is important to inspire the next generation of young girls to follow in their footsteps.
So, who are the female athletes winning big in the Paris Olympics?
Mona McSharry
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We have seen some fantastic wins so far for female Olympians and none hitting closer to home than that of our very own Mona McSharry.
The 23-year-old Sligo woman won bronze in the 100m breaststroke on Monday. McSharry was the first Irish woman to make it into a swimming Olympic final in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics since Michelle Smith in 1996.
Simone Biles
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Olympian Simone Biles has established herself as the most decorated American gymnast of all time. The 27-year-old made a confident return to the sport following her withdrawal from the Artistic gymnastics women’s team final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after suffering a mental block.
So far, the trailblazing gymnast has secured eight medals over her three-time Olympic career. Simone Biles is no doubt an inspiration to just about any athlete that has ever dared to dream of stepping onto that podium.
Biles set an example for the world when she pulled out of her competition to prioritise her mental health instead of pushing on and potentially injuring herself. She showed that being an incredible athlete means one must also know their limits. What a great inspiration to younger athletes.
Kellie Harrington
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Dublin boxer Kellie Harrington won at least a bronze medal in this year’s Paris Olympics, which could potentially be upgraded if she wins her semi-final on Saturday.
Harrington, who won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is the first Irish woman to win a medal at two separate Olympic games.
Katie Ledecky
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America’s Katie Ledecky is another inspiration who has won 12 medals over her Olympic career. The 27-year-old American swimmer rose to fame after winning gold at just 15 at the London 2012 Olympics.
The next generation
Many of these successful athletes speak of the great women they looked up to when they had dreams of one day competing. This shows the importance of having female role models in every area of sport.
In 2022, a study by British charity Woman In Sport found that 43 per cent of girls stopped participating in sports after primary school. The same trend is visible here in Ireland in a survey completed by Sport Ireland in 2022, where 94% of primary school girls reported playing school sports compared to a drop to 65% in post-primary girls.
These kinds of statistics aren’t surprising but with a much bigger emphasis being put on women in sport, the hope is that a more equal portrayal of female Olympians, footballers, and other leading athletes will be a catalyst in inspiring the next generation of girls to pursue their love of sport beyond the age of 13.