A photo of the French artistic swimming team published a few days ago on social networks received a flood of sexist comments on Facebook. Remarks denounced by the former captain of France of the discipline which revive the debate on the holding of female athletes.
“The vision of paradise”, “I am applying for the position of coach”, “The photo is not taken from the right side”: here is a small overview of the Facebook comments received under the photo of the French artistic swimming team.
Posted regarding ten days ago on Facebook and Instagram, the photo was intended to announce the start of the European championships for the France team.
It is the values of women’s sport that are under attack
If some comments are laudatory, several are sexist, even salacious “which no longer has its place in the world of sport or elsewhere”, reacted Solène Lusseau. On his Instagram account, the former captain of the French artistic swimming team denounced Wednesday “shameful remarks”, screenshots in support.
“Yes, artistic swimming is a presentation sport where the body and aesthetics are important, but there is no reason to talk regarding these young women in this way (…) These are the values of sport women who are attacked”, she protested.
Attire controversies
It is not the first time that the outfits of female athletes have caused controversy or provoked inappropriate comments. In July 2021, during the Tokyo Olympics, German gymnasts arrived in the final qualifying round wearing a red and white jumpsuit, covering all of the legs and arms, instead of their traditional leotards.
A few days earlier, the Norwegian handball team was fined 1,500 euros for wearing shorts rather than a “fitted and high-cut” bikini (as listed in the regulations) during a match.
For her part, the double Paralympic world champion Olivia Breen was accused by an official of having worn “too short and inappropriate” briefs during the long jump event at the English championships on July 18, 2021.
Instrumentalization of the body
If we recognize the skills and qualities of a woman in sport, the questions of the body and femininity are still very instrumentalized, underlines Madeleine Pape, sociologist and researcher in gender studies at UNIL, invited Thursday in La Matinale. Thus, we allow ourselves to criticize or judge the appearance of a sportswoman more than of a sportsman.
“Women should not be considered second-class citizens in the world of sport. Their legitimacy in a discipline does not have to be conditioned by aesthetic standards such as the beauty of the body”, underlines the sociologist.
>> The interview with sociologist Madeleine Pape in La Matinale:
Hélène Krähenbühl
