Women's sports in the limelight

Although women's sports in the U.S. generally get little coverage year-round, the Olympics offers a bright spot every two years. Research on Olympic coverage has shown that female athletes get a good chunk (upwards of half) the airtime and ink as their male counterparts in U.S. media. This year, it looks as though U.S. snowboarders Hannah Teter and Gretchen Bleiler are two names that will resonate in coverage. Unfortunately, their names will likely fade from the news after the games, given the nature of snowboarding as a seasonal sport that doesn't demand regular beat coverage.