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During the Olympics, the U.S. men’s and women’s teams were bonded together in an unusual way. Since there were only a few athletes living in the Olympic Village in Milan, it was easier to get to know each other.
For example, in his first interview immediately after the gold medal, Jack Hughes – who scored the Olympic final in overtime as the United States became men’s Olympic champions for the first time in 46 years – said that the first person he thought of when he realized he had scored the winning goal was Megan Keller, who had scored the same in the women’s final.
Hughes praised their performance and how impressed he was with the ladies’ performance.
A day later we met He and his teammates faced a real backlash when they landed in the United States.
Instead of the expected cheers, critical and relevant questions were asked about a video from the locker room in which President Donald Trump invites them to the White House. The president then says – supposedly as a “joke” – that he has to invite the ladies too or he will be “indicted”.
A comment that causes laughter.
When asked about it the next day, they don’t give the best answers you’ve ever heard, but with every interview conducted, it became clear that they weren’t comfortable in the role of “macho men.”
In similar events have already become public, comments such as “Women need to stop being so oversensitive”, “They play so badly that they should be happy that someone even cares about them” and “What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room” followed.
Added to this is the obligatory backstabbing from man to man.
This time there was remarkably little of it. Instead, it seems that some men didn’t particularly enjoy being reminded that they themselves had been in a similar situation – albeit not publicly.
How often have you laughed at inappropriate jokes about women? How many times have they stopped laughing but didn’t dare to go a step further and speak up?
Because now everyone knows that what “happens in the locker room” also influences the everyday lives of many women.
That’s just one of countless examples of the attitudes women have faced over the years, primarily in team sports.
In Sweden, the most public example is the discussion about why Anders Svensson should receive a car for 146 international football matches, while Therese Sjögran, who played 187 international matches, received nothing.
This time it was Zlatan Ibrahimovic who “wanted to make a joke” – or whatever you want to call it – and said: “The ladies can get a bike with my autograph and it will be good.”
For nine yearsR then it started The US ice hockey women are on strike for better conditions.
They did it with such surgical precision and skill that anyone caught in conflict can learn it.
The unity of the group was complete and although the union tried to turn players who were about to be allowed to play in the World Cup – which was due to start just weeks after the strike began – into scabs, no one jumped on it. Not even when they indirectly threatened the juniors they tried next that this could be their last chance to play for the national team.
They demanded their rights in a way that could not be argued against, and in the end they enforced their terms. The deal was completed in time for the World Cup – which they won.
They have now mastered this follow-up debate with the same skill and dignity.
You are clear about it what they stand for, but they have no reason to conflict with the male players.
They want their rights to shine – and wish men the same.
They are not looking for cheap arguments, but are aware that Trump’s comment says the most about the attitudes they faced. You don’t need to reinforce it.
When the ladies declined to visit President Trump at the White House, the men decided to go there. It is possible to get confused about whether it was right or wrong.
But that would have the effect of curbing the discussions that are now taking place outside the locker rooms – and sometimes even inside them.
Because in this story, Trump is really a minor character. Then it’s clear that when we look back on this story in 15 to 20 years, it would be a little strange if we said, “This is where attitudes towards female team athletes really started to change” – and it was Trump who laid the foundation for that.
Read more:
US team captain on Trump’s call: “Tasteless”
Björn Wiman: With Trump’s dissident, the US women’s team is showing what the men’s ice hockey team is missing
