A Special Kind of Power

Reprinted at Sports Worlds with permission June 2004 (c) Season Magazine

By Dr Ronald Goldstein

I admit it. I’m addicted to watching rhythmic gymnastics,
a demanding and delightful sport that combines ballet and creative
movements with music. Participants maneuver ribbons, balls, hoops,
ropes and clubs in choreographed dance-and-tumble routines that
can be astounding in their artistry and athleticism.

The sport is relatively young – the first rhythmic gymnastics world
championship was held in Europe in 1963, and it became an Olympic
medal sport only in 1984. To me, this sport represents the ultimate
in grace, beauty and power, and I find it no surprise that it is
primarily practiced by women.

During a recent speaking engagement in Russia, I successfully arranged
to meet and interview Alina Kabaeva. At 21, Alina is the grande
dame of rhythmic gymnastics, having won all the major world competitions
and now is her country’s hottest prospect for the 2004 Athens
games. With this column in mind, I asked Alina questions on beauty-related
topics, among others, all of which she graciously answered.

As I reflected on her answers and learned more about this world-class
athlete and her sport, I began to wonder about our expectations
of female athletes. Do sexist stereotypes affect how the media and
consumers observe them and report and write about them? Before sharing
with you my conversation with Alina, I will tell you what I learned.

OOOPS, WE DID IT
AGAIN!
It probably will not surprise you to learn that many people have
a hard time separating women’s physical attractiveness from
their athletic prowess. In an article on the subject, women’s
sports expert “Beez” Lee Ann Schell observes that, “In
written texts, visual images, and spoken commentaries, women athletes
are often portrayed as sexual objects available for male consumption
rather than as competitive athletes.”

She points to the June 5, 2000 Sports Illustrated cover and inside
photos of tennis player Anna Kournikova who posed seductively for
a photo shoot, wearing non-tennis clothing. Schell’s study
of a now-defunct women’s sports magazine published by Conde-Nast
concluded that, “most covers and story photographs featured
white, slender models wearing scanty fitness clothes exposing those
body parts equated with feminine sexuality, such as thighs, abdominals,
cleavage, and buttocks.”

When the U.S. women’s soccer team won the World Cup in 1999,
Brandi Chastain’s spontaneous flinging off of her jersey (of
course she was wearing a sports bra underneath) received nearly
as much attention as the team’s win over China on penalty kicks.

WORDS AND IMAGES
In order to help guide reporters and commentators, the Women’s
Sports Foundation has developed a list of “Words to Watch”
and “Images to Watch.” The foundation says descriptions
that place too much emphasis on physical appearance or skills not
related to the sport should be avoided. For example, Sports Illustrated
erred in the foundation’s eyes when it described champion skater
Katarina Witt as: “… so fresh-faced, so blue-eyed, so
ruby-lipped, so 12-car pileup gorgeous, 5 feet 5 and 114 pounds
worth of peacekeeping missile.” Similarly, the Toronto Star
called goalie Manon Rheaume as “a comely nubile with hazel
eyes, a glowing complexion, and a decidedly feminine grace.”

Male
athletes, by contrast, are generally described by physical attributes
with words like “dynamic,” “powerful,” “agile”
and “swift.” In answer to frequently asked questions,
the Women’s Sports Foundation states on its Web site that,
“There is nothing wrong with women wanting to look feminine/attractive
from a traditional perspective. However, female athletes deserve
the same respect for their athletic abilities as is afforded male
athletes.”

BACK TO ALINA
I am in full agreement with the foundation’s position, while
at the same time recognizing that no matter what the venue or pursuit,
physical appearance plays a role in our perceptions of those we
encounter, whether in person or in the media.
This was among subjects I covered in a wide-ranging interview with
Alina, a gracious competitor who answered questions through a translator.
Alina Kabaeva was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan May 12, 1983. At
age 3 she began her gymnastics training and by age 12 moved to Moscow
to study under the renowned coach, Irina Viner.

Alina burst onto the world stage in 1998 where she dominated the
European Championships and Goodwill Games. At 17, she successfully
competed in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney (earned the bronze medal),
and captured five gold medals at the 2001 World Championships in
Madrid. She is preparing for the 2004 games in Athens, after which
she plans to retire from the sport.

How did you
get interested in rhythmic gymnastics?
AK: I came from an athletic family – my mother played basketball
and my father played soccer. When my mother was training, Irina
Viner was practicing her sport in the same center. My mom always
dreamed that if she had a daughter one day she would train in gymnastics
with Irina.

I write about
beauty, and to me, yours is the most beautiful of any sport. How
aware were you of the importance of beauty to the sport?
AK: It’s a natural for me, as I was always very expressive
and artistic, I was always laughing and smiling and rarely cried.
My coach has to tell some girls to keep smiling and show their teeth!
     Gymnastics today has become more professional.
Before, it was more athletic and now it is more classic and beautiful
in terms of the training criteria. My coach does not pick ugly girls.
One girl came in with a perfect face and a perfect body, but her
ears were sticking out. My coach told her to come back after she’d
had plastic surgery done on her ears.

But what about
the beauty of the sport itself? Were you taught that this was important?
AK: Beauty does play a major role, but are we talking about a gymnast’s
facial beauty, or the beauty of her body or her movement? These
are all very different concepts. So if you are beautiful and move
beautifully, it’s hard to compete against that. Beauty for
us gymnasts is in choreography, trying to pull the beauty from inside
to outside. As far as judging, there is facial beauty and there
is beauty in terms of how you dance and move, and if those two elements
combine, then it is perfect.

Are concepts
of beauty changing in your country as they are in the US?
AK: Yes, beauty is changing because fashion is changing. We used
to have a Russian beauty ideal, and now we’re getting more
of the Western European culture – world culture actually.

Is the Internet
playing a role in these changes?
AK: I don’t think so. More so, the borders have opened and
people are now able to travel. We’re making friends with people
from other countries.

What is your
personal beauty regime like?
AK: I use cosmetics, but it only takes five minutes. I’ve learned
that if you use foundation properly you don’t need much else.
I use a little bit of mascara and I don’t really use eye shadow.
I do put highlights in my hair.

What would
be your advice to parents who want to help their children excel
in gymnastics or other sports?
AK: My parents were very much in love and I was raised in a very
warm atmosphere. Parents should understand what a child is capable
of. It is nice to send the child to gymnastics, but the child has
to like it. The parents shouldn’t push it.

How do you
react to being a role model in Russia?
AK: I don’t feel any pressure and I’m very happy to be
popular in this way because I like when people are nice and have
affection for me. When I go to gymnastics schools the kids are very
kind and affectionate toward me. Their parents are too, and I like
that. The only fear I have is not to disappoint my fans.

Britney Spears
is having some problems because she was a role model to young girls,
but as she’s matured, she’s taken on a sexier image. What
are your thoughts about her?
AK: I think what Britney is doing is good, because she’s doing
what she wants to do and she is evolving. [In my country] you can
change your image to a certain extent, but you can’t take your
clothes off in front of the camera or put yourself in Playboy. In
the United States those things seem more normal, but in our society
a person who respects herself would never do things like that, even
for money.

Is there anything
else you’d like to tell our readers?
AK: I’m so grateful that I’m involved in gymnastics at
the professional level. I love the sport and I enjoy it. And I thank
God for my coach Irina who saw me once and made me a champion –
if it weren’t for her, nobody would see my beauty and my smile.
I wish that everyone who plays sports enjoys it!

Thank you so much, Alina. Best of
luck in the future!