The world’s attention is on women’s sports, and Connecticut is no exception.
Hartford will host the Core Hydration Classic at the XL Center, featuring Olympic individual all-around gold medalists Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas and Suni Lee on Saturday.
On Friday afternoon, a young group of up-and-coming gymnasts competed in the Hopes Championships, which Lee Suni won in 2015.
Mark Martin’s 11-year-old daughter Sapphire traveled from Philadelphia to compete in the event.
“It’s really cool,” Martin said. “This is her big chance for her and I’m so happy and proud of her.”
He said he has been watching women’s sports all his life.
“Being the father of a girl has been something to behold for a long time,” he said.
Basketball stars such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have helped boost the popularity of women’s sports.
On Tuesday, Clark made his rookie debut against the Connecticut Sun, which ESPN said was the most-watched WNBA game on the platform with 2.1 million viewers.
In gymnastics, Simone Biles did the same thing.
“It’s amazing,” MK Haddad said. “They’re known worldwide and I think that’s really exciting for the sport.”
Haddad and his daughter Jillian traveled from Dayton, Ohio, to attend the event and plan to stay Saturday to watch the big names play.
“As a mother of young athletes, I am so grateful to have a group of women to look up to,” she said. “I think it’s really powerful that these girls are also starting their own brands.”
“It’s so inspiring to see the people who have paved the way before her,” Martin said. “Simone is so much more than just her sport, she’s so great and her mental health is so great.”
