Sport as a mirror of social norms
Sport, often seen as a universal arena, is governed by gendered norms that perpetuate exclusion. These frameworks discriminate against trans and non-binary athletes, as well as women considered “outside the norm” because they do not fit imposed criteria. Behind the pursuit of sporting fairness lie social and political expectations that shape our concepts of performance and equity. The Paris Olympic Games were hailed as a model of inclusivity, but did they really live up to that ambition? Questioning this system means probing the power dynamics that define the rules of the game and imagining a truly inclusive sport in which everyone has a place.
Emilie Flamand
Director, Office for the Promotion of Equality and the Prevention of Violence (BPEV)
Halba Diouf
Sprinter
Learn More
Madeleine Pape
Sociologist and Olympian, 800m (Athletics)
Learn More
Bengt Kayser
Doctor, Honorary Professor, UNIL
Learn More
Maho Bah-Villemagne
Boxer
Learn More
The discussion is interpreted in English and French
Life is not a Competition, but I'm Winning
If history is written by the victors, then what of those who were never even permitted to join the game? A collective of queer athletes infiltrates the Olympic Stadium in Athens, paying tribute to everyone excluded from claiming victory. They encounter Amanda Reiter, a trans marathon runner who faces prejudice from event organisers, and Annet Negesa, an 800-metre competitor who was urged by international sports federations to undergo a hormone-altering surgery. Together, they forge a radical vision free from the rigid gender norms of competitive sport.
Melanie Jilg
