Paris Olympics: A Fun-Infused Grand Slam for Women’s Sports!

The 2024 Paris Olympics was like a breath of fresh air—kinda like when you open a window after a long, stuffy car ride with your annoyed siblings! After the pandemic-crazed Tokyo Games where it felt like we were watching a boring lecture instead of the Olympics (cue crickets and empty bleachers), the Paris Games roared back to life like a lion that just woke up from a long nap.

This summer, athletes danced on podiums and thousands of fans filled arenas, roaring louder than a coffee-fueled crowd at a sold-out concert. And one catchy phrase broke the internet, spreading like the latest viral cat video: “everyone watches women’s sports.” Yeah, that’s right! Thank you to Togethxr, a female athlete-driven company, for turning that phrase into a cheeky jab at trolls who think women’s sports aren’t a big deal. Spoiler alert: They totally are!

We’ve got ratings going through the roof! Women are taking center stage—seriously, the 2024 Olympics saw a historic cross-your-legs-and-hold-your-breath milestone of half the athletes being women. Icons like Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone brought home a whopping 67 medals for Team USA and probably some gluten-free snacks too. Talk about a medal buffet! 🌟

Viewership went bananas with an 82% increase since Tokyo—like your great aunt discovering TikTok! Women’s soccer hit an all-time high too, with the gold medal match averaging 9 million viewers, making it the hottest soccer event in Olympic history, even hotter than that summer day you got a sunburn at the beach. The Women’s Team Gymnastics Final was so popular, it cast a shadow over the NBA Finals, racking up nearly 13 million viewers. Suck it, basketball!

Now, let’s address the people who say women’s sports should get less investment because “no one watches.” I mean, have they been watching the same Olympics we have? We’re talking about a megawatt opportunity for increased investment and coverage that female athletes have been battling for ages. The women’s sports revolution is kind of like a phoenix that just won’t stop rising from the ashes, and let me tell ya, it’s fierce!

Kudos to the phenomenal WNBA players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who turned their NCAA hype into WNBA magic, making fans jump out of their seats (or couches—no judgment here!). It’s astonishing to see how much the love for women’s sports has skyrocketed, and it’s mostly thanks to this new squad taking names and winning hearts.

But hold the phone! While we’re busy basking in this glory, the Paris Games did show there’s still work to be done. Enter Imane Khelif, who despite the thrilling coverage, found herself at the center of a disappointing tango surrounding transgender athlete discussions—because why not ruin a perfect sunny parade with drama?

In a world where women’s sports finally seem to be staking their claim, let’s keep that momentum rolling because nothing can hold these athletes back—except maybe a surprise cake smash! So, here’s to more cheering, more medals, and of course, more women’s sports taking over the world, one somersault and slam dunk at a time! 🎉