Date Published: September 2, 2024
Time Published: 7:10 AM
In the tropical land of the Philippines, the months of July and August are usually marked by Filipinos ranting on their social media accounts about the scorching heat and even occasional downpours that mingle with their plans. However, during the 2024 Olympics in Paris, a news flash made Filipino households even more hotter than usual. Yet this time, their social media posts were not just about heat—instead, they were about a kababayan who took home not one but two gold medals consecutively.
The two-gold medalist is none other than Carlos “Golden Boy” Yulo, a gymnast who defied all odds by securing wins in the Men's Floor Exercise and Vault events, making it the second time the Philippines made headlines during the Olympics after the groundbreaking victory of Hidilyn Diaz in 2020 in weightlifting.
There are two things you can observe about Yulo and Diaz: one, they are both Filipino short kings and queens, and two, the sports they play defy gender stereotypes. Yulo won in gymnastics, a female-dominated sport, and Diaz won in weightlifting, a male-dominated sport.
Femininity and Masculinity in Sports
Nevertheless, what is considered a feminine or masculine sport anyway? A study on sports psychology by Efford, A. C. states that feminine sports are those with strong aesthetic elements, whereas masculine sports are those focusing on strength or strong physical contact [1]. In this instance, weightlifting practices make your body bulkier and “more fitting” for men's physiques, while gymnastics requires you to be flexible and presentable during performances, which makes it more “suitable” for women.
Even though these stereotypes are gradually fading into the background as more inspiration like Yulo and Diaz enter the media, no one can deny how gender expectations held back athletes from participating in and pursuing their dream sports. While there are no specified statistics of male gymnasts in the Philippines, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association's (SFIA) 2023, there are about three and a half times more women participating in gymnastics in the U.S. than men [2].
This was studied further by Harding, S. N. who highlights how masculinity is constructed in relation to a fear of femininity. For young men, distancing themselves from the perceived “feminine” activities, including gymnastics in sports, will protect them from any homophobic criticism [3].
Consequently, girls are taught to be delicate and feminine, and because sports participation is frequently influenced by both boys' and girls' gender identities, the culture of femininity instilled in girls by their social and family environments from a young age interferes with their preferences and pursuit of sports. In traditional culture, the female body is portrayed as sensitive and well-kept, which is incompatible with the demands of exercise, which require lots of movement. Therefore, girls who participate in these male-dominated activities run the risk of being misidentified as boys and also violate the expected gender roles of women [4].
Influencing Factors for Sports Participation in Men and Women
In general, both men and women are driven to participate in sports to improve their health. However, according to a research compiling global sport reports, gender disparities in participation can be identified in terms of what motivates them to join in sports or even in other physical activities. Men are more likely to participate in sports to have fun (33%), spend time with friends (23%), or improve physical performance (26%), whereas women are more concerned with controlling their weight (26%), improving their physical appearance (24%), or combating the effects of aging (17%). These differences may be explained by the need to conform to gender stereotypes: men are expected to be strong and athletic, while women are expected to be attractive, thin, and young [5].
This makes stereotypical gender roles define which sports were socially acceptable for male and female based on perceived levels of masculinity and femininity. Participation in sports traditionally regarded as masculine are boxing, ice hockey, and weightlifting, and is deemed inappropriate for women. Instead, females are often encouraged to engage in activities such as figure skating, gymnastics, and tennis since these are considered more feminine and are therefore met with less criticism and fewer encounters with negative consequences [6].
One of the prevailing arguments presented by multiple researchers states that athletic women are faced with a dilemma: they are expected to succeed in their sport of choice while maintaining their natural femininity, which can be a difficult balance to build [7].
On Hidilyn Diaz’s Weightlifting Journey
The very same thing happened to Hidilyn Diaz before her gold medal win. During her weightlifting journey, all the talk was about her physique, not her excellence, to the point that it made her lose confidence and be insecure about her body.
During an interview in the Olympics 2021, she talked about her journey, where she shared, "I had a lot of bullying when I was a kid because I do weightlifting. They kept telling me, 'no one will like you. You won't get pregnant. Your muscles will get so big, you won't look attractive...'
My mom also said, 'why you do weightlifting? It's a man's sport.' Then, when I was growing up, I got insecure with my body and with myself because I'm doing this sport. I get so big, no one will like me, so I always hide myself."
"No one can stop us, because we're humans too, and sports doesn't have gender, so we can perform; we can do our best.
To the people that looked down on me, saying that I cannot do well in weightlifting, or 'why you do weightlifting?'... I just want to say 'thank you,' because you gave me the motivation to do well and to represent women in sports [8]," she adds.
Ultimately, Diaz got her happy ending despite the mouthful around her—she even made up with her mom and is now overly proud of her. Let this be a reminder that weightlifters, athletes, and everyone else deserves support in their progress and journey, not only when they have finally reached their goals and succeeded.
Still, in this year's Olympics, another achievement from the pride of Davao del Sur came into picture and led an example. Although Nesthy Petecio may not have achieved her goal of winning the Philippines' first Olympic boxing gold medal this year, she still made her countrymen proud by bagging a bronze medal in the women’s 57 kg semifinals and serving as another female figure in the world of a “masculine” sport.
At last, it just shows that even in the scorching heat of summer, harvests are being awaited as inspirations like Yulo, Diaz, and Petecio reap the land that future generations can sow. Even if occasional downpours may be too unpredictable and strong, it is perfectly normal in every journey or path anyone takes.
The victories of these Kababayans not only represent their home country, the Philippines, but they have also represented aspiring athletes all over the world to continue and pursue their dream sports regardless of gender norms. May their achievements also serve as a reminder to continue pushing boundaries and defying stereotypes because, as they showed; sports are for everyone, and every athlete should be encouraged and celebrated for their strengths and talents, regardless of their size, gender, or background.
REFERENCES:
[1] Efford, A. C. (2023). Women’s Empowerment Through Strength Sports—and Its Limits. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003370925-9
[2] Bojana Galic & Alyssa Hui. (2023, December 28). 62 Gymnastics Statistics You Should Know. https://www.livestrong.com/.../13764418-gymnastics.../
[3] Harding, S. N. (2021). ‘Boys, when they do dance, they have to do football as well, for balance’: Young men’s construction of a sporting masculinity. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690220987144
[4] Deng, Y. (2023). Influence of Gender Stereotype on Participation in Physical Education Class of High School Students. https://www.researchgate.net/.../368380355_Influence_of...
[5] Women On Boards. (2016, September). Gender Balance in Global Sport Report. https://library.olympics.com/.../gender-balance-in-global...
[6] Ross, S. R., & Shinew, K.J. (2008). Perspectives of women college athletes on sport and gender. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2008-03271-005
[7] Dworkin, S. L. (2001). “Holding back”: Negotiating a glass ceiling on women’s muscular strength. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1525/sop.2001.44.3.333
[8] Ken Browne. (2022, May 24). Hidilyn Diaz exclusive on bullies, body issues, inspiration, Olympic gold, and Paris 2024. Olympics.com. https://olympics.com/.../hidilyn-diaz-bullying-olympic...
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