The US Latino Population is Bigger Than Ever, But Not on the US Olympic Team
*Truth is, most olympic sports are expensive. VL
By Mariela Santos-Muniz, Remezcla
The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro came to a close last night, leaving in its wake several newly minted national heroes. Gymnastics silver medalist Laurie Hernandez, for example, dazzled press and fans alike with her floor work, talent, and personality; Carmelo Anthony became the first male basketball player to win ever win three gold medals; and swimmer Maya DiRado took home four medals –two gold, one silver, and one bronze. These athletic achievements are noteworthy in their own right, but they stand out even more for their rarity – the fact is, there just aren’t many Latinos repping Team USA at the Olympic Games, the world’s most prominent international sporting event.
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Fox News Latino reports that the number of US Latino Olympians hasn’t increased since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, even though the overall Latino population has continued to grow. The US Olympic delegation was 4 percent Latino at the Beijing Games, while 15 percent of the US population was Latino at that time. In 2016, Latinos make up more than 17 percent of the nation’s total population, but only represented about 3 percent of the USA squad.
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