From gold medals in figure skating to historic firsts in ski jumping, women of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, continuously placed in the events, highlighting the role that female athletes continue to play in the world’s biggest sporting event.
This year, the female athlete population made up nearly half of all athletes participating in competition, according to Forbes. The United States finished second in the medal count, women winning eight out of the 12 gold medals received. For those watching, the athletes’ performances displayed the growing visibility of women in sports, according to girls lacrosse captain and senior Jasmine Kim-Yang.
“I feel like for so long, the narrative has been that sports and other athletic ventures are male dominated,” Kim-Yang said. “But by having women shown in these events and competing at such a high level, it proves that women can accomplish athletic feats and are just as capable, if not more capable than men.”
Several female athletes excelled during their events, including American figure skater Alysa Liu, who won the women’s singles gold medal — becoming the first U.S. woman in 24 years to win Olympic gold in figure skating. Liu’s growing presence in the athletic field is turning her into a role model for women all over the country, according to Kim-Yang.
“I think her message has been so powerful,” Kim-Yang said. “She’s changed how she trains as a figure skater, and in performance arts such as dance and figure skating, oftentimes, women are held to such a strict standard, of being thin, being professional and showing no flaws. But she’s just having fun and enjoying the sport that she’s put so much time and effort into. It really shows that women can enjoy these things and reclaim areas that they previously could not.”
Seeing female athletes succeed on the Olympic stage inspires younger athletes to pursue sports themselves, according to girls flag football and lacrosse coach and PE teacher Julie Primero. Primero said that increased visibility is essential for continuing to grow women’s athletics.
“Statistics lately have shown that women’s sports can draw big crowds and money — sometimes even more than men’s sports,” Primero said. “We’ve shown that we can generate millions of dollars, especially in the last few years. It’s important for future generations of girls to see that they are represented and have the same opportunities.”
For many female athlete viewers of the Olympics, the success of the Winter Olympians reinforces the idea that they can achieve their goals of competing at elite levels, according to senior and multi-sport athlete Blayze Borroto.
“It shows girls in sports what is possible, what can be done and just how women can be respected in sports,” Borroto said. “While I love watching sports, both male and female, it’s especially fun when you get to have a favorite athlete that happens to be a girl too.”
