Team USA’s Female Athletes Are Dominating The Olympic Medal Race

Team USA may be totally dominating the Rio Olympics in the medal department, but it's the women on the team who are truly killing it. According to USA Today, the American women have accrued more gold medals than most of the countries competing in Brazil. To be exact, the paper found that if the American women were to be considered their own country, they would rank third in gold medals and fourth in total medals. With the U.S. women's basketball team winning its sixth straight gold yesterday — BTW, the team hasn't lost a game at the Olympics since 1992 — and boxer Claressa Shields taking the top prize in women's middle 75 kg for the second time in a row, the women of Team USA have won 26 gold medals and 59 medals overall. That's 55% of the total American medals. For comparison's sake, the entire Russian team, including men and women, has won 19 gold medals and 56 overall. Not to mention, many of the women who are totally slaying the Olympics this time around are also setting new records. Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali, and Kristi Castlin made history by sweeping the 100-m hurdles, becoming the first American women, ever, to sweep the medals in a single event. Gymnast Simone Biles proved she's the best in the world by taking home four golds in her first Olympics. Katie Ledecky is breaking world records all over the place. Runner Allyson Felix got her fifth gold medal with a win in the 400-m relay. Now, if we could only get the media to change the way it talks about female athletes — then, we'd all be winning.