Nicole Moore Sanborn
“Citius, Altius, Fortius.” The Olympic motto translates as “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.” The famed Olympic Games have a creed to supplement the motto. The Olympic Creed states, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.” Many countries embody this Olympic creed. Some countries bring less than ten athletes to the Olympic Games. In the 2012 Summer Olympics, 104 of the 205 countries participating brought ten or fewer athletes. The Summer Olympics features over 35 sports, but many countries only participate in one or two (Olympic). Why discuss the Olympics? The Olympics not only feature the best athletes in the world but also bring our world together in a sense of camaraderie. In 2012, the women of the world took the spotlight.
One major milestone was achieved at this year’s Olympic Games: for the first time, Brunei, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia sent female athletes to the Olympics. Qatar went one step further. Not only did Qatar send a woman to the Olympics for the first time, but female sharp-shooter Bahiya al-Hamad carried the flag during the opening ceremony. For women in the Middle East, this is a milestone that took a while to achieve. The traditions and beliefs of the Middle East have kept women from participating in the Olympics for years. The reality that Saudi Arabia sent a woman to the 2012 Games is particularly interesting. Saudi Arabia bans athletics in most girls’ schools and often prohibits women’s athletic events. If a woman participates in athletics, she is publicly disgraced (Pillow).
The struggle for women participating in the Olympics has not only been an issue for Middle Eastern countries. Women as a present force participating in the Olympics in any country did not become a reality until fairly recently. The Middle Eastern countries held on to their traditions longer than other countries, however. The Olympics originated in Ancient Greece, where men participated naked in the games. In the late 19th century, the Olympics were revived by Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coubertin. Fredy did not condone the participation of women in the competitions, most likely in observance of the traditions held in Ancient Greece. The Olympics were brought back in Athens in 1896, without the participation of women. Four years later, in Paris, however, the International Olympics Committee allowed women to compete. Female participation in the Olympic Games was small and scarce, and women were only allowed to compete in sports considered “light.” In 1912, one Olympic official resigned due to the “indecency” of the females participating in the swimming and diving competitions. The First World War actually opened the door for women to participate in more Olympic sports. Since the world war required women to be hired for jobs previously limited to men, women gained more civil and employment rights. Women used this reality to insist upon greater participation in athletics. This request was made possible in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Unfortunately, women’s participation in the 1928 games was considered a burden because many fainted in the 800-meter race in track. The women’s 800-meter was canceled for the next 32 years. However, in the 1932 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, women began to prove themselves. United States of America’s Babe Didrikson won two gold medals, one in javelin and the other in 80-meter hurdles. She also won the silver for the triple jump. United States of America’s Dorothy Poynton Hill won two gold and two silver medals in the 1932 and 1936 Games for diving. The 1948 London Olympic Games brought female sports into the spotlight. Dutch sprinter Fanny Blanker-Koen won the gold in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter sprints, as well as in the 80-meter hurdles. Blanker-Koen was the first woman in history to receive four medals (Alshabrawi).
Political and social developments took place regarding women in the Olympics following the Second World War. Not only did Blanker-Koen make history, but the Soviet Union sent its first female athletic team to the 1952 Games. Its members won many gold medals, and Soviet women dominated track, field, and gymnastics competitions for decades. It wasn’t until 1984 women were allowed to participate in the marathon, and, in that same year, Moroccan sprinter Nawal El Moutawakel won the 400-meter track race, becoming the first Muslim Arab woman to win a medal. The 1992 Barcelona Olympics allowed women to participate in all games, including Judo. Women were only allowed to compete in all Olympic sports twenty years ago, the equivalent of only five Summer Olympic Games (Alshabrawi).
A more recent battle the United States of America women have been winning is the battle between the USA and the Jamaicans in track and field, particularly in the sprinting area. The Jamaicans and Americans usually go head-to-head when it comes to sprinting. In the 2012 games, the American women prevailed against the Jamaicans, while the American men were once again defeated. In the 400-meters, the Jamaican women were bumped all the way down to 5th place. Sanya Richards-Ross of USA won the gold, DeeDee Trotter of the USA won the bronze, and Britain won the silver. Bianca Knight, Allyson Felix, Carmelita Jeter, Jeneba Tarmoh, Tianna Madison, and Lauryn Williams of the USA set the Olympic and world record for the 4×100-meter race, beating the Jamaican team by .59 seconds for the gold. Carmelita Jeter won the silver in the women’s 100-meters, while the Jamaicans won the gold and bronze. Tianna Madison and Allyson Felix finished 4th and 5th, respectively. Allyson Felix of the USA took the gold in the women’s 200-meters, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica received the silver, and Carmelita Jeter won the bronze, beating Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown by .24 seconds. USA’s women’s 4×400-meter relay won the gold and beat the Jamaicans (who received the bronze) by 4.08 seconds. Overall, the women of the United States succeeded in prevailing over the Jamaican giants in the sprinting department of the Games (ESPN).
Ah, gymnastics. The sport the United States of America, China, Romania, and Russia dominate. This year, Virginia Beach, Virginia’s very own Gabby Douglas received gold in the women’s individual all-around. The silver and bronze medals were taken away by two Russians, and USA’s Allie Raisman received fourth. In women’s vault, the gold was taken by a Romanian, while America’s McKayla Maroney took the silver. A Russian took the bronze. In women’s beam, Allie Raisman acquired the bronze, while two Chinese women received silver and gold. America’s “Fab Five,” consisting of Gabby Douglas, Allie Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, and Jordan Wieber, received the gold medal for the women’s team competition, whereas Russia received the silver and Romania received the bronze. Allie Raisman got the gold medal for women’s floor exercise, beating out a Romanian (silver) and a Russian (bronze). The “Fab Five” had an incredible Olympics, beating out the other world powers in gymnastics (ESPN).
This year, the primary foci in the swimming department included whether Phelps would win the most medals of any Olympian in history, whether Lochte would meet expectations, and how phenomenal the women would do, particularly up-and-comers Missy Franklin and Rebecca Soni (ESPN). Not only did USA’s women dominate gymnastics and track and field, they did some serious damage in the swimming department. Rebecca Soni received gold in the 200m breaststroke. Caitlin Leverenz won the bronze in the 200m individual medley. USA’s team for the 4x200m freestyle relay won the gold. This team featured 16-year-old Missy Franklin, as well as Dana Vollmer, Allison Schmitt, Alyssa Anderson, Lauren Perdue, and Shannon Vreeland. Australia and America tend to go head-to-head in swimming, and America pulled out ahead of the Aussies for the gold, leaving Australia the silver. Allison Schmitt won the silver in the women’s 400m freestyle. The US team received bronze in the 4x100m freestyle, featuring Franklin and Schmitt, as well as Lia Neal, Amanda Weir, Natalie Coughlin, and Jessica Hardy. Franklin, Schmitt, Soni, Hardy, and Vollmer, as well as Rachel Bootsma, Claire Donahue, and Breeja Larson, won the gold in the 4x100m medley relay. Vollmer pulled out with gold in the 100m butterfly, while Franklin won the gold in the 100m backstroke. Schmitt received gold in the 200m freestyle, and Elizabeth Beisel took away the silver in the 400m individual medley. Missy Franklin and Elizabeth Beisel won the gold and bronze (respectively) in the 200m backstroke. Rebecca Soni received silver in the 100m breaststroke. Katie Ledecky won gold in the 800m freestyle, and Haley Anderson took silver in the 10km freestyle. As a whole, USA’s women swimmers did a phenomenal job in the 2012 Games.
Volleyball is another US dominated sport at the Olympics. The US won the silver in women’s indoor, a close second to Brazil. Perhaps slightly more popular is beach volleyball. The dynamic duo Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings had a goal to not lose one set. In volleyball, sets make up matches. Not only did these women defeat their opponents in all of their matches, they also prevailed in every single set but one. Misty and Kerri took away the gold, as expected. The battle for gold and silver was interesting. Two US teams battled in the finals: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings battled Jennifer Kessy and April Ross. Kessy and Ross received silver. Brazil prevailed against China for the bronze, after both teams were defeated by the US powerhouses (ESPN).
Watching the men and the women is very different in beach volleyball. Both teams possess the skills necessary to win; however, it is much more enjoyable to watch the women. Misty and Kerri show elation, nervousness, sorrow, and camaraderie while playing every set and every match. When the camera zooms in on their faces during a break, they are encouraging each other and smiling, even if the match isn’t quite going their way. On the contrary, Philip Dalhausser and Todd Rogers appear either concentrated or bored during their matches. Encouragement is not obvious between this team, nor is emotion in facial expressions present. This makes for a less interesting experience for the observer. The women are filmed and run during prime time television, more-so than the men as well.
At the 2012 Olympic Games, the entire buzz was about the women. In 2012, the women are embodied the Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius.” As the USA women get swifter, rise higher, and grow stronger, the men seem to be fading into the background. The controversy over the Middle Eastern countries sending their first women to the Olympics forces women to be front and center. The United States of America placed their focus on the women, possibly in response to this controversy. Our country’s women certainly rose to the occasion. The Middle Eastern countries that sent women who did not medal still embodied the Olympic creed of participating and giving the Games one’s all, the most important thing being the struggle. In 2012, the women of Qatar, Brunei, and Saudi Arabia overcame the massive cultural struggle of not being permitted to participate. Whether these women will be able to participate in the future is another matter. However, in 2012, the women certainly rose to the occasion and put on a glorious show for the world. What will the 2016 Summer Olympics bring?
Works Cited
Alshabrawi, Mutaz. “Women’s Participation in the Olympics…an Ambitious Dream Comes True.” http://www.twocircles.net. N.p. 6 Aug. 2008. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.
Pillow, Andrew. “Muslim Women Participation in 2012 London Olympics is the Start, Not the Goal.” http://www.bleacherreport.com. N.p. 27 July 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.
http://www.espn.go.com/olympics. N.p. N.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.
http://www.olympic-2012-london.co.uk. N.p. N.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.
Redeeming Pandora 