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SOME CONTRADICTIONS AND TENSIONS IN ELITE SPORTSMEN'S ATTITUDES TOWARDS THEIR BODIES

Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education, Norway

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.

Key Words: athletes • body • masculinity • Norway

International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Vol. 34, No. 3, 291-302 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/101269099034003005


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