'That's not storytelling': Olympians hope proposed guidelines eliminate sexualization on broadcasts

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. When Kate Van Buskirk made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2021, she clocked her second fastest time in the women's 5,000 metres in a sweltering 41 C. It was a massive feat, and afterward, she collapsed onto the track to soak it all in. Five years later, Van Buskirk recalls the moment to be the most 'egregious' time she was captured on camera, with photos posted online of her 'sprawled out' on the track from extremely invasive angels. 'I've just finished the biggest race of my life … I just remember looking at those and thinking, 'these live on the Internet forever,'' Van Buskirk said, adding that there were other photos of the moment that didn't show her inappropriately. Instances like this aren't rare in women's sports. A report from The Representation Project from the Tokyo 2021 Olympics found that women were sexualized nearly 10 times more than male athletes at the Games, despite Olympic broadcasters encouraging "sport appeal, not sex appeal" to camera operators ahead of the competition. 'It should be about performance, not appearance,' said Van Buskirk, who has since retired and works as a media analyst. 'Even if it's passive and unintentional, there should be thought put around how we position photographers so that we're not giving them just that one angle.' For decades, women's sports uniforms have been a point of conversation regarding coverage and fit, such as the controversy ahead of Paris 2024 when Nike unveiled its new Team USA track and field kit for women as a high-cut bodysuit. Van Buskirk refers to her track uniform as her 'equipment,' opting for bottoms called ��'bunners.' 'I want to wear as little fabric as possible while still feeling like I have the dignity to do what I'm doing and be taken seriously as an athlete, but also not have to be distracted by that and worry about am I literally covering my private areas,' she added. WATCH | More athletes speaking out about invasive camera angles : When does a sports replay go from storytelling to sexualization? | Duration 1:30 More athletes are speaking out about invasive camera angles at women's athletics competitions. Europe pushing for change from broadcasters In July 2026 the European Broadcasting Union and European Athletics created new guidelines to improve coverage in women's athletics, calling out problematic broadcasting habits that 'add zero narrative value.' Lingering close-ups on specific body parts, low-angle camera placements, and excessive slow-motion replays with no storytelling purpose are the main 'culprits' the report, Raising The Bar, cited. 'The way people consume sport today can amplify that impact. A single frame from a live broadcast can be clipped, zoomed in and shared around the world within minutes,' Elissavet Arapi, women's sport lead for the European Broadcasting Union, said. 'Those images can then attract sexualized comments and abusive behaviour online, and athletes have told us they are increasingly concerned about that.' Above is a photo created by the European Broadcasting Union and European Athletics to show the encouraged standard camera angles in the broadcasting of women's athletics. (European Broadcasting Union) Van Buskirk shared that some of her peers in athletics have found highly sexualized photos taken of them in competition on 'soft core porn' sites. 'I have seen, again, many replays over the years of myself and others where there's no commentary over top of it … It's a slow motion pan up, usually starting around the calves and coming up really slowly,' she said. Arapi says that navigating editorial decisions like this is a collaborative effort amongst directors, video operators, and camera operators who need to 'react quickly if their shot gives us a sexualized image.' Michele Donnelly, associate professor of Sports Management at Brock University, is quick to call out the limitations of the guidelines. 'Why can't it be a policy? The entire document makes the case for why this is necessary. It should rise to the level of something that is a requirement, not simply a guideline,' Donnelly said. 'The IOC (International Olympic Committee) needs to be the first one to demonstrate this is how you do it and to hold themselves accountable.' As Canada's official broadcaster of the Olympic Games, Paul McDougall, CBC Sports' head of production and content, said the organization's priority is always athletic excellence above all else. "Broadcasters don't just owe women athletes a spot on the screen; they owe them a broadcast that honours their power, skill and dignity. Visibility inspires participation. By adopting respectful production guidelines, we move beyond representation and commit to a landscape where athletic excellence is always the primary lens." McDougall said. The Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), the permanent host of all Olympic and Paralympic Games, said they also have guidelines in place to ensure respectful coverage of athletes. 'Respectful and appropriate portrayal of all athletes in all sports is an integral part of OBS' Olympic Games coverage. This is reflected in the OBS guidelines for venue production teams and is also taken into account through our production quality control processes when supervising OBS coverage,' the OBS shared in a statement to CBC Sports. Germany's Gina Lückenkemper, right, calls the upward facing cameras intrusive and uncomfortable while wearing her competition attire. (Petr David Josek/The Associated Press) Education versus information Back in 2019, the World Athletics Organization introduced two miniature cameras inside the starting blocks for sprint and hurdle events at the world championships in Doha. While the goal was to provide 'trailblazing' angles capturing the runner's explosion off the starting blocks, several sprinters heavily criticized the camera placement. Most notably German athletes Gina Lückenkemper and Tatjana Pinto, who said the upward facing cameras were intrusive and uncomfortable while wearing their competition attire. 'When your body is exposed…there's a presumption of access and ownership and being able to use images of women's bodies for whatever purposes people want to use them for. But also, that translates to in real life interactions with athletes and expectations of them,' Donnelly said. In response to the push back, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) agreed to only show shots from the block cameras right at the starting pistol and to delete video data at other times each day. 'We have noted some specific feedback about the block cameras and we have confirmed we have appropriate measures in place to protect athlete privacy during the process of selecting images for broadcast,' the IAAF wrote in a statement. 'We also have strict editorial guidelines for what is broadcast and these have been observed since the beginning of the championships.' While sexualization isn't limited to women athletes, men in sport often celebrate when their bodies are captured on camera, rather than being at risk of threat, says Donnelly. 'Without diminishing the negative effects that there may be for many athletes, often when men's bodies are being sexualized in a celebratory way. Like, think of the poor high jumper [Anthony Ammirati] right, from Paris 2024 where it was all about his manhood and his masculinity.' On Friday, the world's top track stars will compete at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest where heated rivalries and new stars will emerge in the leadup to LA 2028. With all eyes on athletics as one of the most watched sports at the Summer Olympics, establishing broadcasting expectations may be more important than ever. 'There's a difference between informing and educating, versus entertaining. And I think as soon as we slip into entertainment, as the thing that we're focusing on, that's when it can really quickly devolve into hyper sexualization,' Van Buskirk said. 'That's not storytelling, that's objectification,' Van Buskirk said.