Some Contradictions and Tensions in Elite Sportsmen's Attitudes Towards Their Bodies

Abstract

This article examines some tensions related to how male bodybuilders, ski jumpers, and soccer players view their bodies. Both ski jumpers and soccer players displayed a functional orientation toward their bodies, while the ski jumpers strove for a thin and light body that would improve the length of their jumps. Soccer players also had somewhat diverse body ideals, as the game requires different skills. Bodybuilders were primarily concerned with appearance, especially size. There also was an association between concern about appearance and dissatisfaction with one's body. Ski jumpers and soccer players were less concerned than the bodybuilders were with their public image and were also more satisfied with their looks. The study indicates that athletes' perceptions of their bodies depend upon the sporting contexts, and that there are tensions between athletes' perceptions of their bodies and the cultural ideals associated with men's bodies at large.

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“…Several studies showed changing perceptions of a person's body in relation to the context in which he or she was situated (e.g. Haimovitz, Lansky, & O'Reilly, 1992; Krane, Waldron, Michalenok, & Stile‐Shipley, 2001; Loland, 1999; Russell, 2004). Athletes also seem to measure themselves in relation to the predominant body ideal of their sport, as well as to hegemonic ideals in society at large (Loland, 1999).…”

“…Haimovitz, Lansky, & O'Reilly, 1992; Krane, Waldron, Michalenok, & Stile‐Shipley, 2001; Loland, 1999; Russell, 2004). Athletes also seem to measure themselves in relation to the predominant body ideal of their sport, as well as to hegemonic ideals in society at large (Loland, 1999). Four qualitative studies illustrated that elite male and female athletes reported to have multiple body images, namely, an athletic and a social body image (Follo, 2007; Krane et al, 2001; Loland, 1999; Russell, 2004).…”

“…Athletes also seem to measure themselves in relation to the predominant body ideal of their sport, as well as to hegemonic ideals in society at large (Loland, 1999). Four qualitative studies illustrated that elite male and female athletes reported to have multiple body images, namely, an athletic and a social body image (Follo, 2007; Krane et al, 2001; Loland, 1999; Russell, 2004). Athletic body image can be defined as the ‘internal image one has of his or her body and the evaluation of that image within an athletic context’ (Greenleaf, 2002: p. 64), while the social body image refers to body evaluation in the context of daily life.…”

“…Moreover, it was shown that athletes often experienced different levels of body satisfaction in these two contexts (Krane et al, 2001; Loland, 1999; Russell, 2004). Female rugby players, for example, perceived their body as functional and positive for their sport, while their body satisfaction decreased off the pitch, as their strong, muscular and athletic bodies did not meet the feminine beauty demands of western society (Russell, 2004).…”

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“…Individuals with higher levels of athletic competence show more enhanced self-concept and SE (Kay, Felker, & Varoz, 1972;Marsh et al, 1997;Marsh et al, 1995), and added to this is the psychological reinforcement of social recognition for their performances (Loland, 1999;Webb, Nasco, Riley, & Headrick, 1998). Other researches found that elite athletes presented greater SE than non-elite athletes (Mahoney, 1989;Marsh et al, 1997) and non-athletes (Kamal, et al, 1995;Marsh et al, 1995).…”