In the lightweight round, Katie Taylor of Ireland won, bringing home Ireland’s first gold medal since 1996. Taylor is incredibly popular in her homeland and reaction in her hometown of Bray was explosive. The most exciting response—even if you don’t speak Irish— was the teary and breathless call by Raidio na Gaeltachta’s commentator Seán Bán Breathnach, who proudly sings praises comparing Taylor to historic and modern Irish heroines like Grace O’Malley, Máire Mhac an tSaoi, Maud Gonne, and Mary Robinson. (If any Harpies are Irish speakers, I’d love to know what else he was saying).

The New York Times on Wojdan Shaherkani, the first female Saudi Olympian.

The Washington Post on Kayla Harrison, who overcame years of sexual assault by her first coach to win gold in judo. 

The Guardian on women’s boxing, the first year this “bastion of masculinity” has been a medal sport at the Olympics (Did you know that until 1998, the British Boxing Board of Control denied women boxers licenses on the grounds that PMS makes us too unstable? Yeah, fuck those guys.)

And for a delightful interlude of hetero objectification, thanks to Jill at Feministe for linking to 33 Things To Love About Men’s Water Polo.