Women’s athletics broadcasts may start looking different under new guidance from the European Broadcasting Union and European Athletics with a basic ask: focus on the athlete, not the most sexualized possible angle.
The organisations have released Raising the Bar, a 23-page document that doesn’t call for less coverage of women’s events or less attention on athletes’ bodies in a sport where power, speed, and technique are literally the point. Instead, it asks a more useful question: Does this shot actually help viewers understand the performance?
In practice, that means fewer tight shots from behind, fewer low cameras pointed upward, and more caution around slow-motion replays that don’t add anything useful for viewers. The guidance applies across several events, including high jump, pole vault, horizontal jumps, and running.
Glen Killane, executive director of EBU Sport, said in the document that “the sexualization of women athletes through selective camera angles and editing choices continues to be a significant concern across many sports broadcasts.”
“These choices carry profound implications. They shape audience perception by diverting attention from the remarkable achievements and technical skills of women athletes, and risk perpetuating harmful stereotypes,” Killane added.
The report uses specific illustrated examples of camera setups to show the difference. In high jump, the guide recommends wider views that show the run-up, takeoff, and clearance, rather than zoomed-in slow-motion shots over the bar. Tight or low replays, especially in slow motion, are flagged as shots that can create compromising images without adding much for the viewer.
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For long jump and triple jump, it favours shots that show the board, stride pattern, and landing without lingering on an athlete from behind or below.
For running events, the document warns against very tight shots from behind or below, particularly around starting line prep and moments of exhaustion after a race.
British Olympic pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw said the issue can follow athletes well beyond the broadcast.
“How our sport is displayed during live broadcast can be incredibly powerful yet sometimes harmful to the women competing and the women/girls watching,” Bradshaw said in the report. “I first-hand have received social media abuse and witnessed inappropriate videos online of myself and colleagues when slow-motion content of us competing is captured.”
Bradshaw also noted that athletes can become distracted by camera placements during competition.
The guidelines are available now for broadcasters covering women’s athletics. And while they’re recommendations, not hard rules, the goal is clear enough that camera work should help viewers understand the sport rather than make them feel exposed.
Sean Abrams was the Senior Editor, Growth and Engagement at Men’s Health. He’s a former hip hop dancer who likes long walks on the beach and large glasses of tequila. You can find his previous work at Maxim, Elite Daily, and AskMen.
