'Vonntourages' and 'Iceholes': A Critical Examination of Sexism Arising from the Vancouver 2010 Games

Introduction This essay contains two sections that when combined demonstrate that the Olympic Games perpetuates sexism. More specifically, I will show that objectification is detrimental to women Olympians in not only a sexualized form, but also in consistently treating women athletes solely as bodies, or objects. It may appear as though I set out to accomplish too much in making this claim; however, an analysis of examples stemming solely from the recent Vancouver Olympic Games will show how the continued objectification of women athletes facilitates the proliferation of a sexist culture and approach to sport. Firstly, I will refer to examples of sexual objectification that occurred prior to (the release of a nude calendar featuring Canadian biathletes) and during the Vancouver Games (Lindsey Vonn's appearances in Sports Illustrated and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue). Secondly, I will describe how treating women athletes primarily as objects in a non-sexual manner can also be problematic for the advancement of women athletes in the Olympic Movement. To demonstrate this claim, I refer to the controversy and devastation at the Whistler sliding centre and the backlash of readjusting the "ladies" luge start position.