Less focus on breasts, buttocks, and bellies: athletes must be portrayed more respectfully. 'We are still seen as objects of desire'

Female athletes are historically more likely to be covered based on their appearance than their athletic achievements, a practice that harms their performance and mental well-being. To combat this, the European Athletics Association and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have collaborated with athletes, directors, and camera operators to create new guidelines for "respectful coverage."

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It's truly bizarre that this is necessary.

The guidelines include visual examples of camera angles for disciplines like high jump, long jump, pole vault, and running events. They specify what is acceptable and what should be avoided, emphasizing that female athletes should not be filmed from below or behind, and that close-ups on buttocks, breasts, stomachs, and spread legs are to be prevented. Instead, the focus should be on the athlete's full image and their sporting performance.

Slow-motion replays should only be used to highlight technical skills. The authors state that camera angles best showcasing an athlete's strength, precision, and technique also treat them with dignity and respect. The initiative arose from a workshop where concerns about the increasing misuse of female athletes' images online were raised.

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Female athletes are historically more likely to be covered based on their appearance than on their performances. That is not only detrimental to their performance but also to their mental well-being. Therefore, we wanted to help tackle this problem.

Sprinter Demi van den Wildenberg, who has experienced close-up shots of her body after races, called the guidelines "bizarre" but welcomed them. She noted that male athletes are rarely subjected to the same level of scrutiny regarding their appearance. The new rules aim to shift the narrative from objectification to athletic prowess, ensuring that the focus remains on the sport itself.

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The camera angles that best show the strength, precision, and technique of disciplines are often also the camera angles that treat athletes with dignity and respect.