European Athletics wants to ban cybersex for female athletes | Women

The advice is based on feedback from athletes who said that shooting some cameras can cause discomfort and distraction.

European Athletics and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have established guidelines aimed at banning the sexualization of female athletes through camera angles and the use of replays.

“Developing a recording guideline is an important step towards eliminating the negative representation of women in our sport while maintaining the legend and excellence,” European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov said on Wednesday.

The advice, called “Raising the Bar”, follows comments from athletes who have said that shooting some cameras can cause discomfort and distraction by taking away from their performance.

Broadcasters are advised to avoid long shots of certain parts of the body, low-angle shots that are taken behind or below the athletes, and slow-motion replays that do not contribute to the understanding of the game.

These guidelines are intended to ensure that coverage remains focused on sports and to reduce the risk of images being removed and distributed inappropriately online.

The organizations also encouraged sports teams to use high-resolution cameras that record the movements and actions of athletes.

Former world champion long jumper Ivana Spanovic said broadcasters should use camera systems, including aerial views, and training footage to help explain different aspects of the sport.

“Our games offer many opportunities to show the skill and beauty of the movement, such as showing slow-motion shots that show technical precision, such as the time of take-off or forward movement,” added the Serbian.

Guides share video footage of high jump, high jump, long jump, triple jump, and sprint events through “good” and “bad” angles, which have a marker or cross, respectively, and accompanying explanations.

With high jumps, for example, “cameras that are below the athlete have a high chance of producing disturbing images,” the guidelines read, adding that “the slow repetition of the athlete clearing the bar reduces the technical intelligence and can produce disturbing images.”

The instructions also explained that even if some shots are visible, the replay does not convey anything to the commentator or the audience.

Explanations were also given on how to effectively and respectfully handle athletes’ opinions, celebrations, and interviews with coaches.

“The sexualisation of female athletes through the use of selective cameras and selective editing continues to be a major problem for many sports broadcasters,” said Glen Killane, head of EBU Sport.

“Long-shots of bodies, low-angle camera shots, and slow-motion replays that don’t work technically or story-wise are some of the hallmarks of today’s televised women’s sports competition.

“These decisions have a lot of meaning. They make the audience more focused by taking away the attention of the athletes and their technical skills, and they risk developing negative feelings,” he added.

The document, which is available for use by all broadcasters, said: “We hope that these guidelines are seen less as restrictions and more as a starting point for discussions between broadcasters, regulators, camera operators and athletes, so that we can continue together.”