Tokyo Olympics: Challenging stereotypes, and raising the bar

There have been a few standout images from the 2021 Olympic Games so far, and they tell an important story about the way gendered stereotypes and social norms are being challenged, and are shifting.

Early on, we saw the German gymnasts make international headlines when they took a stand against sexualisation, and chose to compete in tights or unitards rather than the usual high-cut leotards.

Then we saw US gymnastics superstar – and sexual abuse survivor – Simone Biles withdraw from the women's gymnastics’ team final, stating she wasn’t mentally ready.

More recently, we’ve seen Team Great Britain champion diver Tom Daly knitting in the crowd, while watching the women’s diving final, and last week the US men’s fencing team wore pink masks. (More on that later.)

Representation matters

Why do these images matter? They matter because they’re all, in their own way, and to varying degrees, acts of defiance from powerful role models; acts that challenge our notions of what it is to be a male or female athlete/a man or a woman.

They also matter because around the world, people – including children – are seeing these images, and incorporating them into their dreams and memories.

And they matter because they’re in stark contrast to other images we’ve seen dominate in the past, and continue to pop up recently.

Remember just two weeks ago when the Norwegian women’s beach handball players made international headlines because they refused to play in bikinis and were fined by the European Handball Federation for “improper clothing”?

You may also have heard that on the same day, at the English Championships, long-jumper Olivia Breen, double world champion and British Paralympian, was told by a female official that her shorts were “too short and inappropriate”?

Viewed in isolation, these incidents may seem trivial and even amusing. But viewed in the broader social context of gendered stereotypes and violence, they present a picture of the challenges being faced by women in elite sport, and of emerging change.

Connecting the dots

These incidents underscore a long history of sexualisation and policing of women’s bodies and behaviours. It’s an experience universal to women, not just those in the sporting world – one that’s directly related to the all-too-common occurrence of gender-based violence, including sexual assault.

The media coverage and public discussion that ensued are representative of the literal tip of the patriarchal iceberg faced by female athletes.

When viewed together, they’re illustrative of conflict surrounding the widespread culture that places female – and non-gender-conforming – athletes under immense pressure. This pressure regarding how they look, what they wear, and the scrutiny placed on their bodies and behaviours makes for additional mental and emotional hurdles they must overcome.