If we think about it, men’s gymnastics is no different from women’s gymnastics or any other sport in the world. Gymnasts fly through the air defying gravity with insane strength,flexibility and precision. Although all of that sounds cool, men’s gymnastics comes up short when it comes to viewership. Why is that? Male gymnasts put their whole body on the line every single day doing insane amounts of conditioning, flipping over a steel bar 12ft off the ground and having to catch again, and so much more.
One reason men’s gymnastics isn’t as watched as women’s gymnastics is because the women’s side has more known and famous gymnasts like Simone Biles, Suni Lee, and more. The women’s side is also said to be more “artistic” than the mens side. Artistic gymnastics means to combine the physical abilities of power,coordination, and flexibility with creativity, aesthetics, and expression. Male gymnasts train anywhere from 5-8 hours a day putting in the work they need for the season. They sacrifice so much just to compete at the highest level. The more viewers men’s gymnastics gets, the more opportunities they get for sponsorships, and more equipment and resources for training.
Men’s gymnastics shows that athleticism isn’t just about monster strength, it’s about agility, precision, and creativity. Another reason men’s gymnastics barely has views is because the apparatuses used in men’s and women’s gymnastics are different. Some people may find the balance beam and the music in the women’s floor routines more interesting and eye-catching than the men’s pommel horse or parallel bars. Men’s gymnastics shows raw power and upper body strength which might not seem as “elegant” as the women at the first look but, men are incredibly flexible and controlled. It is just all covered by all the power.
Colleges in the U.S.act like a training ground for the Olympics. Unfortunately the funding for men’s gymnastics programs is lower than the women’s. That means fewer scholarships are offered to male gymnasts with great talent and fewer competitors reaching the elite level.With less competitors, some people may think men’s gymnastics isn’t exciting or competitive.
The dominance of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team at the Olympics has also taken away viewership from men’s gymnastics. Nicknames the women have been given like “The Fierce Five” or “The Final Five” have captured lots of headlines and gotten lots of spotlight. This success for the women means more media attention and more fans cheering them on at every competition. The U.S. men’s team is extremely talented and rank high a majority of the time but, they haven’t reached the same level of consistent winning and victory. That means less media coverage and less hype around the sport.
Efforts are already on their way to make men’s gymnastics more popular globally. The invention of social media is a great tool to boost the popularity of anything. Gymnasts like Ian Gunther,Fred Richard, and Khoi Young are already using their social media platforms to boost the popularity of men’s gymnastics. I have faith that one day men’s gymnastics will be seen as the amazing sport it is.
Photo Credits: Andrea Piacquadio on pexels.com
Jahmel McGee- St. Rita of Cascia- DMSF Class of 2028