“They had one purpose and one purpose only: to perform fearsome acrobatics.”
Women being viewed as objects is sadly a belief that has been held throughout history, and is sadly still a belief held today. The first quote reinforces the idea that women are viewed as objects in the gymnastics field. They are viewed as a tool with in purpose and one purpose only, and that’s a horrid belief. It undermines everything about being woman, and all the work they have to put into being a gymnast. Its a sad belief to have especially in the modern day.
“Good girls, and good gymnasts, didn’t create waves.”
The second quote was one that stuck with me throughout the entire article. It really sets the precedent and foundation for what was to come. “Good girls, and good gymnasts, didn’t create waves,” to me is such a powerful statement. To me, it ties back into the first quote, and how women are just viewed as tools and objects used for gain. Its incredibly sad how they are drilled to just go through the motions almost emotionless, and to sit there and take whatever torment comes their way.
“But I cannot believe that you have to be sexually, emotionally, and verbally abused to win Olympic medals. I just cannot believe that.”
I chose my final quote because to me it really reinforces the main point of the article, and why it is so important. It is so common for women to be sexually, emotionally, and verbally abused all through their lives, and that is not something anyone should have to deal with. The article exposes the amount of pain these women have had to go through because of one doctor abusing women for almost three decades. It really goes to show that people in power can get away with some of the worst things for so long, just because they have some form of authority of someone.
