Every two years, the Olympics roll around, and Americans are swept with pride for their country. During this year’s Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the U.S. took home a total of 33 medals, including 12 gold. Two of those golds came from a sport near and dear to my heart: hockey.
I grew up surrounded by hockey, spending countless afternoons at Tech CU Arena watching my father’s practices or games, and with National Hockey League games ever-present on our TV. From my parents and cousins, I’ve inherited a familial love for the sport.
Needless to say, Olympic hockey is a big deal in my house. And, risking my Canadian dual-citizenship being revoked, I was honestly excited about both the men’s and women’s U.S. teams defeating Canada and winning gold. I felt proud to be American, especially when the men’s team honored the late Johnny Gaudreau, a player who died in a car accident in August 2024 and would have played in the 2026 Olympic Games.
But scrolling through Instagram a few hours after the men’s team took home the gold, I came across a video that felt like a slap in the face. The clip showed the team, accompanied by FBI Director Kash Patel, in the locker room, on the phone with President Donald Trump. In the video, Trump invited the team to join him at the White House for the State of the Union speech.
But that wasn’t the problem.
The problem was when Trump cracked a joke about how he’s “gonna have to bring the women’s team” and how he’d “probably be impeached” if he didn’t, and the locker room erupted in laughter. That’s what shocked me. Because the thought of “honoring” a women’s team that not only won gold, but scored 33 goals in contrast to only allowing 2, went undefeated and played arguably some of the best hockey I’ve ever seen — should not be a matter of ridicule.
Funny enough, I’m less disappointed in the tasteless joke made and more disappointed that the men’s team didn’t defend their female colleagues. Sad as it is, I’ve learned to expect these sexist jokes and disrespectful comments towards women from our President. But, I thought these Olympic athletes would hold themselves to a higher standard. Especially as a female hockey fan — and someone who might’ve played the sport had she not been so enthralled by ballet — I find it disheartening to see the men of our country look down on women’s sports this way.
I’ve seen people on the internet, and even the players themselves, turn the backlash into a narrative that sensitive people will find a reason to make everything about politics, arguing that sports and the government are separate. And I agree. The Olympics are not meant to be political.
But this isn’t political.
This is the blatant disrespect of women and female athletes in general. It’s misogyny that our leaders and top athletes — figures we should be able to look up to — are continuing to spread and normalize.
Regardless of one’s political beliefs, I believe it is fundamentally wrong to disrespect anyone. And these are U.S. Olympic gold medalists! I’m concerned for our country if this is how we’re acting towards the best of the best, because what would that mean for someone like me, a young woman growing up in America? If this is how we’re treating the women who represent our country on sports’ biggest stage — as nothing more than a joke — how will we treat our female classmates, coworkers, mothers, wives, sisters and daughters?
It’s heartbreaking for my pride in this country to be crushed by that video’s nauseating humor. And I hate that it took over my mind for days, rather than the overwhelming joy I should feel for female athletes like Mikaela Shiffrin, who won gold to become the most decorated American alpine skier in history, or Alysa Liu, the Bay Area native figure skater who returned after retiring early and broke America’s 24-year drought of Olympic women’s figure skating gold — or just any of the incredibly talented female hockey players on the Olympic team.
Despite my disappointment with the U.S. men’s hockey team, I’ll always love hockey, and I’ll always love America. To love these things means wanting them to be better, and believing that they can be. But for that to happen, both need to support the women who help make this country and this sport great.
If you aren’t watching women’s sports, you’re missing out. It’s important to acknowledge their accomplishments and build each other up — because the best way forward is united.
