The Milan Cortina Olympics are officially in the books, and I barely know what to watch now. Thankfully, I know exactly what to eat — turns out my favorite Olympian has the same great taste in celebratory desserts. Not that I needed a reason, but I’ll be ordering it in her honor. Meanwhile, it seems the Games, and blizzard in New York City, have inspired everyone to turn into an Olympian, but this guy proved it’s best to leave some winter activities to the professionals. At least the Kelces are still dropping Olympic breadcrumbs, like Jason’s hilarious reaction to his new nickname (finally, a man who gets it). Not gonna lie, they’re my Roman Empire. Before we get into the other sports headlines, I can’t leave out Airbnb’s new listing. Heated Rivalry fans, I think it’s time to plan a trip…
— Mallory Simon / Writer / New York, New York
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Gold, Glory, and Still Fighting for Respect
What's going on: If you want something done right, send a woman. For the third consecutive Winter Games, the women on Team USA won more medals than their male counterparts — and they took home as many golds as entire countries. It’s thanks to athletes like Alysa Liu, who ended a 24-year drought for US women’s figure skating. And Mikaela Shiffrin, who overcame setback after setback to win gold. Plus, we can’t forget the US women’s hockey team’s revenge over Canada. Or moms like Elana Meyers Taylor, who kept it real when she won. The first person she hugged? Her nanny. We could go on and on about the women who reached the podium, but the point is clear: Women make up America’s winning formula.
Our take: Their success isn’t an accident. It’s the result of hard work, resilience, and policies like Title IX, which further opened the door for girls to play sports — and paved the way for leagues like the PWHL to exist. This was the most gender-equitable Winter Olympics yet, proof that women’s sports are making progress. And still, there’s a long way to go before these athletes receive the proper respect and recognition they deserve. From WNBA CBA negotiations to advocating for basic resources, and even a viral presidential phone call, women athletes have to fight to be seen and celebrated. Women are done settling — for the joke invite, the smaller contract, the afterthought. And since Milan? It’s hard to argue they haven’t earned more.
