Regarding the sexual objectification of female athletes: It's more than just coverage of women's gymnastics, although you will hear many more adjectives about female gymnasts' appearance during commentary or sports reporting than you hear about the male gymnasts. I don't think women's gymnastics gets more coverage for sexual reasons; I think they run it so often because women will watch it a lot.
I'm thinking about things like: how WNBA players have to take make up and outfit planning lessons, or how they are frequently referred to as wives and mothers in their personal interviews (compared to details about NBA players' stats or team history); the differences in the uniforms of male and female volleyball players; frequent observations about the looks of female golfers as a group, or if they are all lesbians (not necessarily by professional journalists); the various and frequent description of women tennis player's athletic dress in articles that are not about what all the tennis players are wearing to Wimbledon; constant reassurances to the audience that although so-and-so is physically fit/strong/powerful, she is still graceful/feminine/pretty. Stuff like that.
you hear more comments because beauty and pose is considered important in women s gymnastics. they do all the silly crap with their hands on the balance beam, and the silly dancing on the floor routines.
Men's gymnastics is about power and strength. Women's coverange is greater because womena nd little girls like watching it. Girls are more enrolled in gymnastics too. So more coverage will get more girls into gymnastics, making more money. You don't see any tiny guys doing gymnastics, and for the record, you don't see many ugly men doing gymnastics either.
As for the women interviews, they bring up what is important to them. Many in the WNBA who have kids are proud that they are mothers. You hear the same thin from very successful business women. they like to tout that they are also successful wives and mothers.
