Does Recognition Come Faster for Men? The Visibility Gap in the 2026 Winter Olympics

Design by Zury Cordova

By Zury Cordova

At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, the women of Team USA delivered some of the most important and entertaining performances of the games, earning three more medals than their male peers. Out of the total 12 gold medals won by Team USA, 8 were won by women. Their success added to a long pattern in which past Olympic female contenders constantly succeeded in their sports category, yet their achievements often received less media coverage and honor than their male counterparts. 

This dynamic was visible again in 2026. While the women’s hockey team’s performance was historic, much of the public conversation surrounding Team USA focused on the men’s hockey team’s win against Canada. They have now won three Olympic gold medals in 1998, 2018 and 2026, compared to the women's team medaling in every Olympic tournament ever held since women’s hockey debuted in 1998. Their 2026 gold was especially dramatic, a 2–1 overtime win over Canada, sealed by Megan Keller’s golden goal after Hilary Knight tied the game later. 

Against a women’s team that has worked hard for its extended decades‑long streak of podium finishes and a men’s team celebrating its first gold since 1980, the men’s team received an invitation to visit the White House to celebrate their victory, a gesture that quickly became part of the broader media spotlight surrounding their run.

With that imbalance already visible in media coverage, the viral moment in the men’s locker room becomes even more telling of the attention imbalance. On February 22, a phone call to the men's locker room was filmed by FBI director Kash Patel, capturing the moment the president congratulated the team. During the call, President Trump added that the women’s team would also need to be invited to the White House, saying, “I must tell you, we're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that?” He then remarked in a joking manner that not doing so could lead to criticism, "I do believe I probably would be impeached," while the men's team were audibly laughing at the president's remark. 

President Donald Trump formally extended invitations to each team to visit the White House. The men’s team, with the exception of five players, attended the White House visit and the State of the Union. The USA women’s hockey team later confirmed that they had also been invited but declined due to scheduling conflicts. A spokesperson told Front Office Sports that the players were “honored and grateful to be invited,” and that any future visit would depend on their availability once their seasons conclude.

Hilary Knight, a player of the women’s team, also stated in a press conference with the Seattle Torrent, “ The joke was distasteful and unfortunate. I think the way women are represented is a great teaching point to really shine a light on how women should be championed for their amazing feats. Now I have to sort of sit in front of you…and explain someone else’s behavior. It’s not my responsibility.” She is completely right. An Olympic gold medalist should not have to answer and take responsibility for what somebody else said. She also said, “These women are amazing… Whatever’s going on should never outshine or minimize their work, or our success, on the world stage. This was the best American women’s hockey team, the best American team we’ve ever put together on a world stage when the lights have been the brightest. Ever.”

The broader conversation around the Games also highlighted how quickly women’s accomplishments can be overshadowed by non‑sport narratives. Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu and fellow figure skater Isabeau Levito both faced public commentary on social media that focused on their appearance rather than their athletic achievements. This pattern, where women athletes’ bodies, outfits or personal lives receive more attention than their skills, has been widely documented across multiple sports.

The Milano Cortina Olympics showed that women continue to push the boundaries of athletic excellence. They win, they lead, and they deliver under pressure. But recognition — public, institutional and cultural — still arrives slower for them than for men.  The question is no longer whether women are performing at the highest levels. They are. The question is whether the systems around them— media, institutions, and the public narratives — will evolve quickly enough to match their achievement. 

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Zury Cordova is a sophomore at The City College of New York, pursuing a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in creative writing.  She is passionate about creative expression and spends her free time journaling, writing, and painting.