A governing body in Europe has decided that female athletes are being harmed by broadcasting presentations.
The European Broadcasting Union put out a 23-page report recently that demanded broadcasters cease using camera angles that they say contribute to the “sexualization” of women.
‘Certain camera angles … cause discomfort for athletes and unnecessary distractions.’
EBU Executive Director Glen Killane called the “sexualization of women athletes through selective camera angles and editing choices” a significant concern in the sports world, so his union set out to put a stop to it.
To that end, the broadcasters announced new guidelines for how women’s athletics should be filmed, specifically track and field. This included barring camera angles from beneath pole vaulters going over the bar, for example, long shots of female athletes, and camera angles of the lower half of their bodies.
Readers were quick to voice their displeasure with the decision.
“Great idea, let’s make women’s sports even more unwatchable,” wrote one X user.
“The beauty of elite athletes’ physiques is an integral part of the spectacle. If athletes [prefer] to conceal certain body parts, they can simply wear more covering clothing,” another reader argued in response to a post from a track and field page.
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Another comment seemed to summarize the EBU’s perspective on the matter when a reader stated, “Why can’t they just wear what they want to and not worry about creepy camera angles?”
In the EBU guidelines, two female athletes offered similar sentiments. British Olympic pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw wrote that “on too many occasions cameras are zoomed in, showing super slow-motion action replays of athletes in undignified positions.”
She said this has resulted in online abuse.
Serbian Olympic long jumper Ivana Spanovic also said, “Certain camera angles, combined with gender stereotypes … cause discomfort for athletes and unnecessary distractions.”
It didn’t take long, however, for readers to point out that both Bradshaw and Spanovic have themselves posted images and video of their competitions from angles that will soon be banned.
Bradshaw posted images from angles nearly identical to those the EBU considers “compromising,” such as this photo and this photo.
Spanovic was also noted to have shared multiple images that seem to be obvious violations under the new guidelines, specifically this image.
JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images
“Men wear shorts why can’t women. I’ve never understood this. This isn’t a bikini contest,” Google whistleblower Zach Vorhies wrote.
The debate has raged on for years, especially when it came to the track and field uniforms for the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
While some expressed outrage at the bikini-style women’s uniforms, it was later revealed that sponsor Nike had a plethora of options for athletes, including athletic shorts and longer tights. In fact, Nike said in 2024 that it offered over 50 different iterations and claimed that track and field athletes could “choose outfits that match their style and personal preference without sacrificing comfort during the games.”
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Track and field, Europe, Olympics, Sexism, Sports