Percepções de atletas olímpicas brasileiras de voleibol de praia sobre o uso de uniformes

Abstract

Volleyball has become a popular sport, a process favored by changes in rules and uniforms promoting advertisements and sponsorships. However, women's uniforms, in addition to advertising, were aligned with discomfort and exposure of the body and physical appearance. The topic reached media attention; however, it is still little explored from the perspective of beach volleyball athletes. The present study aimed to analyze the perception of professional beach volleyball athletes regarding the use of uniforms in this sport. This is a qualitative study in which content analysis was carried out on interviews carried out with professional beach volleyball athletes, Carol Solberg and Ágatha Rippel, granted to important media channel. The sample included interviews with Carol Solberg for GloboNews in 2021 and Ágatha Rippel for Rádio Globo in 2017. No ethical approval was required, as it uses public and free data, guaranteed by Resolution No. 510/2016 of the National Council of Health. For the results, the following categories of analysis were identified: “Silencing: the space of women in beach volleyball”, “Sports rules, uniform and performance” and “Spectacularization and objectification of the female body”. The first category reveals that the environment in which the athletes are inserted is marked by male hegemony, in addition to being scarce in dialogue. For the second category, it was identified that the uniform regulations privilege men in a way that is opposite to women, as it contributes to: a limited space for sponsors, the relationship between comfort and performance, and the involvement of athletes in decisions about the use of uniforms. Finally, the third category associates the female body with an attraction for sport, making it a media strategy. In this process, the female body is objectified, a process considered as a spectacularization of the body. It is concluded that the female body is a constant target of gazes that reduce it to objects of satisfaction for others, in a process of spectacularization of the female body, using the uniform as a form of control over the bodies of beach volleyball athletes, through control mechanisms and rules.