An Olympics of Lights: What You Didn’t See On TV
Photo by Sydney Wu
On an early London morning, I caught the first train to Paris to watch the Olympic Games. I had three goals: watch wrestling, see the Eiffel Tower, and eat everything in Paris. Spoiler: I tried escargot, and it was delicious. Seeing the events in person was an entirely different experience from watching on TV, and experiencing the Paris 2024 Olympics in person changed how I watched the sport of wrestling and brought several issues facing professional athletes to my attention.
The rhythm, enthusiasm, and beauty of the venue were spellbinding. I speak almost no French, three weeks on Duolingo doesn't get you very far, but what I learned while visiting different cafes and restaurants or simply wandering the streets of Paris is that “merci,” and a big smile can go a long way. Within the walls of the arena, everyone was there for a singular reason: to watch the best wrestling in the world. The shared excitement from so many diverse cultures transcended any singular language.
Olympic wrestling was held in the Mars de Champ arena, an iconic location where you could see the Eiffel Tower as you walked in. The Arena was comprised of three mats; women’s Freestyle was in the center, flanked by Men’s Greco and Freestyle on either side. One of the wrestlers I was most excited to watch in Paris was the famed Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki. When she entered the arena, she walked with the confidence of an Olympic and 4-time world champion.
For nearly 6 minutes, Susaki pushed Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat around the arena, scoring two push-out points. However, when everyone had essentially accepted Susaki's victory, Phogat scored a two-point takedown in the waning seconds of the match, putting her up on criteria and securing the win. The arena was silent for a long moment, and I felt chills as every wrestling fan processed what had just happened. Then, the crowd erupted in cheers. Indian flags waved wildly, and the stands shook with frenzy.
Modern Athletes, Modern Solutions
The 2024 Paris Olympics crossed a historic boundary. Never before has an Olympics had equal male and female competitors. The event also crossed a historic boundary in social media coverage, with athletes worldwide utilizing the event to grow their social media brands. However, even with a celebration of female athletes at this Olympic games, female wrestlers seemed to be left out of the general media conversation & coverage.
Female athletes have always been at a disadvantage regarding coverage and sponsorships—the excuse given is that fewer viewers tune into women's sporting events. However, according to UN Women, the majority of sports viewers tune into women's sports, but only around 15% of media coverage is directed towards female athletics.
Beyond the Paris 2024 coverage seen on TV, athletes are utilizing social media to bring more attention to their individual athletics as well as their sports. Amit Elor is a prime example of a modern athlete utilizing a modern solution by creating her own social media content and capitalizing on modern trends. Following her gold medal at 68 kilograms, she gained over 100,000 new followers on Instagram, and it is still growing.
Female athletes are not just small male athletes; we cannot place the same expectations we use with male sports onto women's sports. Individuality and femininity are displayed by sprinter Sha'carri Richardson’s nails, rugby player Ilona Maher’s lipstick, and Kristen Faulkner’s climb from unknown cyclist to Olympic Champion. These female athletes compete at the highest level of their respective sports and share their femininity, fashion, and incredible stories on the world stage.
Ilona Maher's Impact on Women's Sports
These athletes are using their influence on social media and TV to demonstrate the value of women's athletics, which benefits athletes at all levels of sport because it is different, diverse, and interesting to watch. No one has done this better than Ilona Maher. As someone who had never given rugby a second thought, I stumbled upon Maher’s Instagram and simply fell in love. She has utilized internet trends as well as her athletic prowess to pull more fans, brand deals, and money into the sport of women's rugby.
After Team USA’s amazing performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Maher’s inspiration to women worldwide brought a 4 million dollar donation to women's rugby from Kynisca’s inspiring businesswoman, Michele Kang. Maher stated in an interview that she wears make-up on the field because she can be feminine while competing in a combat sport and be open to a possible brand deal. Sure enough, L'oreal Paris ran an ad with her titled “Game Face Make-Up Routine.”
Women’s athletics are different from men's athletics. By embracing feminine traits and taking advantage of social media, professional athletes can generate more interest in their sports and capitalize on new brand deals. As a wrestling fan, I didn’t see wrestling featured much on TV, However, in the arena, I felt the passion and excitement for women's wrestling from so many diverse fans. I loved watching the flags of different nations being thrown up in celebration of various wrestlers, I know I was proudly waving the stars and Stripes. Women’s wrestling has a big future, and it can be supported using social media to grow the sport and showcase the femininity and individuality of athletes at all levels.
Unstoppable growth:
The increase in participants, funding, and recognition at lower levels of the sport has also resulted in the same for the professional side. USA Wrestling now provides female-specific coaching courses, and organizations like D1 Women Wrestling and Wrestle Like a Girl are building a structure and community where female athletes can grow. Setting a precedent that female wrestlers have the same foothold in the sport as male wrestlers has led to more personalized coaching and training options for top-level female wrestlers as well. What makes the Olympics so special? It is the strength and community of coaches and athletes at every level of our sport.
Women’s wrestling may not have a large foothold in the global conversation now, but the whole wrestling community can work to change that. We are seeing the future possibilities of publicity for women's wrestling through the Olympic Gold Medalist Amit Elor. She has created a platform where she can demonstrate her own athletics while bringing an exceptionally personal and fun touch to hundreds of thousands of followers, which may one day convert to a National brand deal.
The Future of Women's Athletics
Women’s wrestling may not have a large foothold in the global conversation now, but the whole wrestling community can work to change that. We are seeing the future possibilities of marketing for women's wrestling through Amit Elor.
She has created a platform where she can demonstrate her own athletics while bringing an exceptionally personal and fun touch to hundreds of thousands of followers, which may one day convert to a National brand deal. Coverage for women's wrestling will only continue to grow, and everyone can help. Sharing and creating content can make a difference.
Most importantly, all young female wrestlers should keep wrestling. With every new athlete, more funding and attention is given to our sport. All levels of wrestling are important; youth, high school, and college athletes all contribute to current and future professional athletes. With the unstoppable growth at all levels of women's wrestling and amazing women-creating youth, high school, and college programs for these inspiring athletes, the women's wrestling community will shine in LA 2028.
