Monthly Archives: March 2022

Millions of moments were captured by photographers at the 2022 Winter Olympics: From sky-high aerial action and blink-and-youll-miss-it speed to raucous team celebrations and the solitary, still seconds in between.

But while women were responsible for many of the most memorable moments from the Beijing Games, most of their achievements as well as their disappointments were documented by men.

The Beijing Winter Games were technically the most gender equal in history, with women representing 45 percent of all athletes, but the media covering the Olympics were far less gender balanced. The International Olympic Committee helped highlight this disparity when the organization released the final number of validated media accreditations following the Closing Ceremony.

In Beijing, 9,388 individuals received media credentials. That total includes three categories: press organizations (1,952); rights-holding broadcasters (3,607); and host-broadcaster representatives (3,829).

The IOC released a gender breakdown for the first category, which includes print reporters and photographers. Of the 1,952 media members in Beijing, just 23 percent 443 individuals were women. Within that group, women photographers were the least represented, percentage-wise: Of the 603 photographers accredited at the Games, only 13 percent 80 individuals were women.

CATEGORY

FEMALE

MALE

TOTAL

FEMALE %

MALE %

E (Journalist)

290

801

1,091

27%

73%

EP (Photographer)

80

523

603

13%

87%

ET (Technician)

16

81

97

16%

84%

EC (MPC support staff)

6

13

19

32%

68%

ENR (Non-rights-holding broadcaster)

51

91

142

36%

64%

TOTAL

443

1,509

1,952

23%

77%

I think its jarring to see the numbers in print because my impression, honestly, when I was there is that the numbers were improving, said Getty Images photographer Maddie Meyer, whose resume includes four Olympic Games, 10 FIFA World Cups (women and men) and the Super Bowl.

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Meyer, a 2014 Ohio University grad and Boston resident, was stationed in Z-Zone in Beijing, formally known as the Zhangjiakou Zone, which hosted Nordic skiing events, as well as the bulk of freestyle skiing and snowboarding events. She was one of 11 Getty photographers in the zone, three of whom were women. Overall, Getty Images had 61 representatives in Beijing staff included photographers, editors, editorial operations, product and technology staff with 13 being women (21 percent).

[While] its not 50/50, I thought, Oh this is great, Ive got two girlfriends up here with me. This is awesome. But I did notice when, for example, I covered Shaun Whites last run and hanging out in the scrum near the mixed zone, looking around and I do notice, of course, women are still a minority there.

Shaun Whites reaction following his fourth-place finish in the mens snowboard halfpipe competition is among Getty Images photographer Maddie Meyers favorites from Beijing. (Photo by Maddie Meyers/Getty Images)

At major sporting events in the U.S., Meyer said she can easily see female photographers are still the minority, yet she remembers a different picture while in college, where she says women made up the majority of her fellow visual communications students. While that makes her hopeful that growing gender equality in her profession is not a supply-chain issue, Meyer says it remains a challenge to get women photographers game-ready for pressure-packed sports competitions.

How do we make sure theyre coming up and getting opportunities at the highest level, said Meyer. Because thats another thing: Were covering the Olympic Games. Thats the pinnacle of sport photography, and this is not the time to give somebody a first chance or first try when its a really high-pressure situation.

So how do you get new photographers, men or women, into a position where theyre covering these really high-demand, high-pressure sports?

While Getty has addressed that question with targeted internship programs and mentorships, part of the answer lies in Meyer herself. As the first woman to earn the Getty Images Sports Internship in 2013, her living, breathing, trailblazing path inspired fellow colleague and OU alum Sarah Stier, who is here to confirm: Representation matters.

When I saw that Maddie that her full-time job was being a sports photographer thats what I wanted to do, and so I had Maddie to look up to, said Stier, who worked the 2022 Winter Games as an Alpine photo editor as well as a photographer in the Beijing Zone, which primarily hosted the Olympic ice sports. They always say it, but it helps when you have people to look up to, and I think thats the key and thats how were going to (bring more women into the profession).

Photographers Maddie Meyer and Sarah Stier in the field at the Beijing Olympics. (Photo courtesy Getty Images)

Stier also worked the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, where the media accreditation numbers provided by the IOC reflected a similar breakdown percentage-wise by gender. The press corps totaled 4,187 (down by approximately 1,800 from normal Summer Games numbers), with 20 percent of the total credentials going to women, and just 12 percent of the 1,042 photographer credentials were held by women.

When it comes to documenting the action, Meyer and Stier bring a similar approach to their craft, intent on capturing the action as they see it, no matter the subject. But both women also have embraced their position among the minority, seeing it as an opportunity to elevate their points of view as well as to champion the same dynamic coverage of female athletes and womens sports.

While there are disadvantages to being a woman in this male-dominated field, I will say that I do think when I am covering female athletes, I think they do feel more comfort around me and so maybe in that moment thats my advantage, said Stier.

In particular, Stier said she seized those advantages last year while covering the Professional Womens Hockey Players Associations history-making game hosted at Madison Square Garden, as part of the 2021 Dream Gap Tour.

As I was shooting, I was trying to challenge myself to think beyond the the photos and storylines that we always see in womens sports, she said, referring to the stereotypical images of ponytails and painted fingernails.

What can I shoot beyond that? Because when we photograph mens reactions after they score a goal or something, theyre these almost guttural screams, you know? Its intense and I want to make sure that when I photograph female athletes, Im photographing them in the exact same way that I photograph male athletes.

Thats going to be hard for some people to adjust to because women athletes dont always look pretty when theyre scoring.

Meyer noted that she, too, considers it her responsibility to provide the same gritty coverage for womens sports as she does for men.

I need to be sure that Im showing the women in their peak action and getting dirty and sliding on the turf and things like that, so that ultimately its a little bit out of my hands but I make such an effort to be able to provide these tough, peak-action moments.

But Meyer has found a little magic in differences between on-field celebrations at womens events vs. mens: Often (women) give great reaction to each other. A lot of men will celebrate to the cameras or by themselves, and women tend to come together and celebrate with their teams, so there are more pictures there, and often I find that more interesting.

But at the end of day, its respect for their subjects that rules the work.

I always try and put myself in the (place) of whatever athlete Im photographing, man or woman, and I know something thats true for all of them is theyve worked really hard to get to this point, said Meyer.

They have dedicated likely their entire lives to getting here, and I want the athlete to be shown in a good light, in a respectful light, and to honor the work that theyve done to get to that moment.

Last year, the IOC released an extensive Gender Equality and Inclusion Report as well as detailed Portrayal Guidelines, both of which encourage gender equality among content creators, storytellers and news organizations. These recommendations even go so far as to encourage sports organizations to offer incentives like additional accreditations to media outlets to assign female staff to cover their athletes or events.

In an email to On Her Turf, IOC Media Relations also confirmed that the IOC Press Committee has a working group on gender equality that is looking at various initiatives including, amongst others, allocating a small quota of press accreditation to females in some parts of the world, plus ensuring equal gender representation and geographic representation in the Young Reporter Programme.

Images from the Olympic Games are seen by billions of people around the world, creating icons and role models for women and girls proving that if she believes it, she can be it,' wrote the IOC in a report in Tuesday detailing its gender parity initiatives in celebration of International Womens Day.

Stier recognizes that a shift toward 50-50 representation behind the camera wont change overnight, but she finds the prospect motivating.

I think thats the challenge and the motivator for getting women to work in sports, she said. What we can do now is to recognize young women who want to be sports photographers early and give them the courage and confidence to really own whatever market theyre in, (and also) give them that courage and confidence by valuing their work over that idea of, Were going to value you because youre a woman.

Thats where we get the change.

Meyer said she sees a time in the future where she arrives at an Olympic Games and can gather with a veteran group of women photographers and share the same camaraderie that she sees her male counterparts enjoying.

Im working generally around a lot of men who have had this group and have known each other for decades, said Meyer. And I know thatll be me one day, with all the women Ive (worked alongside).

Hopefully, Ill know them for decades, and Ill be 50 or 60 years old hanging out with them wherever the Olympics are.

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Women starred at 2022 Winter Olympics, but men photographed most of the action originally appeared on NBCSports.com

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Women starred at 2022 Winter Olympics, but men photographed most of the action - Yahoo Sports

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. Dan Hicks should be exhausted.

If he is, the veteran NBC sports announcer is doing a heck of job of hiding it.

Hicks, 59, will anchor the networks weekend coverage of The Players Championship for the 30th year at TPC Sawgrass, working again with producer Tommy Roy, a Ponte Vedra Beach resident.

This week is just another huge event for Hicks, who in the last eight months has covered swimming at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, the final two events of the PGA Tours FedEx Cup, the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, skiing at the Beijing Winter Olympics and now the third leg of the PGA Tours four-event Florida Swing.

Except Hicks thinks there should be a bit of a disclaimer: like most of the NBC talent covering the Winter Games, Hicks did it from the NBC broadcast compound in Stamford, Connecticut.

Players:Leaderboard | How to watch | PGA Tour Live on ESPN+

Ive got to say that the Winter Olympics was a bit of a break on the body and the wear and tear, he said. That last thing I thought I would do is drive from my own house in my car to cover the skiing. It was still a lot of work and because of the difference in time, a lot of late nights.

Its not what you sign up for, to cover an Olympics from the studio. We tried to do the best possible job to convey to the audience what they were seeing but theres no substitute for being there. The good news is that the cafeteria food is Stamford is pretty good.

Hicks covered two of the biggest storylines of each Olympics: Green Cove Springs native Caeleb Dressel in swimming and Mikaela Shiffrin in skiing. They were at both ends of the spectrum in terms of Olympic success.

Dressel won five gold medals for the U.S., the fifth swimmer to accomplish that. In the process, Dressel captured fans all over the world with his power, grace and homespun background.

Caeleb had all the pressure and the spotlight on him going in, Hicks said. I was taken aback by how calm and focused he was. Hes never tried to be anybody he isnt. Hes true to himself, a small-town Florida guy. Its his comfort zone.

But Hicks told one anecdote that spoke of Dressels confidence and passion. He interviewed Dressel at the USA Olympics swim team camp in Hawaii before the Tokyo Games and at the end of the interview, Hicks said Dressel gave him a preview of coming attractions.

He just said, Im going to put on a show for you guys,' Hicks said. I thought, Wow, this guys ready to roll. And then he went out and put on that show.

Then there was Shiffrin. A two-time Olympic gold medalist and the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine skiing history, she was favored to win gold in as many as three events, but then fell in each of her first two, the giant slalom and the slalom.

After she skied out in the second event, she dragged herself to the side and sat forlornly on the snow for around 20 minutes.

NBC was criticized for keeping its cameras on Shiffrin until she finally left the slope with a U.S. official. But Hicks defended the networks coverage.

Hicks said Shiffrins agony could be compared to the best golfers in the world coming to the 17th hole of the Stadium Course and dumping balls in the water, in front of thousands of people on the ground and millions watching on TV.

Golf is one of those sports that strips you bare, Hicks said. Weve seen some of the catastrophes at No. 17 and you feel for the athlete. We all felt for Mikaela but its not our job to pick them off the snow and give them a pat on the back. Its the same situation at No. 17. You see the splash and you see that crushed look on their faces.

When she fell the first time, you could just say, well, thats racing,' Hicks said. But then it happened again, and all I could think of was Dan Jansen.

Jansen was favored to win 500-meter speed skating gold medal in 1988. Hours after learning his sister had died of cancer, Jansen took the rink and then fell. It took him until 1994 to win his elusive gold medal.

Hicks said Jansen must have read his mind. He got a text from Jansen that said, sometimes the best dont always win at the Olympics.

Hicks said one key story line at the Players is the emergence of young stars such as Viktor Hovland, Joaquin Niemann and Scottie Scheffler.

Hes especially looking forward to see how Scheffler handles the Stadium Course after winning under difficult conditions last week in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Ive got to give credit to [broadcast partner] Paul Azinger. before the Ryder Cup, he was saying constantly that this guy has the most potential of all of the young players, Hicks said. This guy won a birdie fest at Scottsdale, then went bogey-free on the weekend at as tough any test weve seen at Bay Hill. a very deserving winner and he might be the main story on Tour this season. Zinger said it best. He said Scottie has a great disposition and nothing rattles him.

Hicks said a Players field that doesnt include both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for the first time since Woods turned pro before the 1997 tournament doesnt leave the field short of star power and that includes the Stadium Course and its finishing stretch from Nos. 16-18.

Theres nothing like having those guys in the field, Hicks said. But if The Players has proven anything, youre going to get some incredible competition down the stretch, even with guys who might not be the biggest stars at the moment. The course is always the biggest star of this tournament and Id put that finish up against any in the world.

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NBC's Dan Hicks has had a whirlwind year covering two Olympics, Ryder Cup and now Players Championship - Golfweek

During an interview with Eurosport, Justine Henin analyzed in detail the situation of Novak Djokovic, who has just announced that he will not participate in the two ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and Miami. Henin said: "There is no doubt that Novak Djokovic is going through a difficult time.

In difficult times, you are often forced to make important decisions. Nole is no exception to this rule. I think the Serbian got stuck a bit after the defeat against Alexander Zverev at the Tokyo Olympics. Djokovic's confidence has cracked since that day, if you know what I mean.

Recently, we learned that his longtime coach Marian Vajda was not in favor of his participation in the Games. This separation will certainly have an impact on Novak in the coming months." The Belgrade had to witness the triumph of his eternal rival Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open.

The Spaniard, who overtook Federer and Djokovic in the all-time Grand Slam standings, will try to stretch further at Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic is having a lot of difficulties at the start of the season.

The Serbian phenomenon has played only one tournament so far, not having been able to defend the title at the Australian Open due to the well-known events. His run in Dubai was already interrupted in the quarters by the hand of the revived Jiri Vesely, able to exploit the negative day of the 20 times Grand Slam champion.

Due to the vaccination issue, the 34-year-old from Belgrade will not be able to participate in the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and Miami. As if that were not enough, Daniil Medvedev overtook him at the top of the ATP ranking, becoming the 27th number 1 in the history of men's tennis.

On the other hand, good news has come from France, where the Green Pass will soon be abolished. This should allow Nole to compete in the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo and above all in Roland Garros. A few days ago, Djokovic and Marian Vajda announced that they have ended their glorious collaboration. Under the leadership of the Slovakian coach, Novak has won all 20 majors that embellish his showcase.

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Henin: "Novak Djokovic's confidence cracked after the Olympics" - Tennis World USA

Jessie Diggins earned a bronze medal Saturday in the final World Cup individual race of the season, taking third in a 10-kilometer freestyle in Falun, Sweden. The cross-country skier from Afton finished second in the women's overall standings, 180 points behind overall champion Natalia Nepryaeva of Russia.

Diggins concluded the individual racing schedule with six podium finishes, including two victories during January's Tour de Ski. The defending World Cup overall champion, she took the runnerup spot by 21 points over Ebba Andersson of Sweden. Diggins, who won silver and bronze medals at the Beijing Olympics last month, also finished fourth in the sprint standings and was ninth in the distance points race.

The World Cup cross-country season ends Sunday with a mixed team relay in Falun, with Diggins anchoring the four-person U.S. team. The World Cup finals, originally scheduled for next week in Russia, were canceled after Russia invaded Ukraine last month.

"It was really special to finish second in the overall World Cup,'' Diggins said. "Overall, I'm very happy and satisfied and proud of the season.

"I came in with very concrete goals about my preparationboth physically and mentallyfor the Olympics, and that was the big target. But to be able to have some World Cup wins and some World Cup podiums was really just the icing on the cake.''

Norway's Therese Johaug won Saturday's 10k, the final race of her World Cup career, in 22 minutes, 34.4 seconds. Sweden's Jonna Sundling was 35.9 seconds back in second place, and Diggins was only 4/10ths of a second behind Sundling.

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Jessie Diggins gets bronze medal in final World Cup race of the season - Star Tribune