Column by ErinCramer

As a female athlete and a D1 commit, I have lost count of the amount of times that I have been put down, made fun of or excluded by my fellow male athletes for the sole reason that I am a woman. 

Whether it be a “joke” or not, it doesn’t change the fact that women in sports, no matter how talented, are still seen as the butt of the joke. In a current climate where many have come to look past this practice of inferiority in competitive settings, I feel obligated to comment on the extreme sexism and lack of integrity displayed by U.S. athletes in the most recent Olympics. 

At the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, both the women’s and men’s hockey teams brought back gold medals, a tremendous accomplishment deservedly celebrated by the nation. What should have been a joyous and uniting triumph became a moment in which I was truly embarrassed of our male Olympic champions. 

The women’s hockey team is one of the most decorated and successful in Olympic history, medaling in every single tournament since the debut of the sport in 1998. On the other hand, the men’s team won their most recent medal in 2010, and their last gold in 1980. This year, both teams faced off against hockey powerhouse, Canada, in the championship and came out victorious. 

Moments following the men’s thrilling victory, the overjoyed men returned to their locker room and were joined on a phone call with the President of the United States. In a shocking turn of events (not really,) a joke was made amidst the celebration regarding the obligation to “invite the women’s team” to the White House. 

The entire room burst into laughter at such a captivating and innovative joke. I mean, who doesn’t think about degrading and belittling others after winning a gold medal? I know I do! 

When I first saw the clip of them in that locker room, I swear there was steam coming out of my ears. Not only was I enraged at this disgusting behavior, but I was reminded of all the other times that incredibly successful women’s teams were mocked and ridiculed for their outrageous and radical expectation of being treated fairly. 

I mean, these full-grown men have the audacity to laugh at the very team that has outperformed them by leaps and bounds and is coached by two of their teammates’ mother, Ellen Hughes. It truly took all my energy not to throw up. 

After some time and rationalization, I soon came to realize that the joke is entirely beside the point. Caught up in the moment, I was sure that the boys might not have really heard what was said or what they were really laughing at. It was the response, or lack of response, that really led to a majority of my disappointment. 

The following day, many, including myself, expected a statement to be released on behalf of the men’s team, apologizing for their behavior and to congratulate the women’s team on their incredible victory. After all, they both won the same gold. 

But no, no statement was released. No press conference, no post, no nothing to show the women’s team any respect. And all the while they were silent, the rest of the world responded. 

On Feb. 28, Connor Storrie, star of the TV hockey romance “Heated Rivalry,” hosted Saturday Night Live. During his monologue, he brought out members of both the men’s and women’s hockey team, praising their incredible skill and talent. The girls joked that they originally had been the only ones invited, but decided to “invite the guys too.” 

Many people thought this was a clever and lighthearted way to squash the beef, but I saw this as the age-old tradition of women covering for men to make up for their poor behavior. Because, once again, women have to step up and be the bigger people despite the fact that they were disrespected. 

In a time where there are so many horrific and damaging things happening in the world, sports are an opportunity to unite communities and nations in the triumph of athletes depicting what hard work can achieve. But time and time again, actions speak louder than words, and lack of action says it all. 

Women have worked unbelievably hard to be even in the same room and have the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Countless hours of dedication to prove that they are worth the same, if not more, than anyone else. 

This is more than proven in teams such as the U.S. women’s soccer team, who had to fight for the same pay and respect as their male counterparts, who they consistently exceeded. 

These teams not only matched the men’s success, but outperformed them to such an extent that those in power had to mock and degrade them to assert superiority and perpetuate harmful gender roles. 

Because, until moments like this are called out, it won’t matter how talented or successful a woman is — she will still risk becoming the punchline. And that is exactly why speaking up matters.