Gymnastics inherits practices from structural racism

In a study, high-performance black and brown athletes reported discriminatory experiences in the sports context

Discrimination, the imposition of Eurocentric aesthetics, offensive "jokes"—so-called recreational racism—and cases of moral, verbal, and even physical abuse. The range of violence to which the country's Black population is subjected daily was also present in the sporting careers of Brazilian gymnasts who self-identify as Black or Brown, both men and women, who became protagonists in their sports between 1990 and 2020. The accounts, compiled in a doctoral thesis defended at Unicamp, demonstrate the recurrence, within high-performance gymnastics, of practices inherited from structural racism. Combating this racism requires measures that encompass everything from the training of coaches, referees, and officials to the organization of the sport.

It was up to former Black athlete Franciny dos Santos Dias to draw attention to a reality that active gymnasts avoid discussing openly. A native of São Mateus, Espírito Santo, the now PhD holder from the postgraduate program at the School of Physical Education (FEF) at Unicamp began practicing rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 12, as part of a social project in her city. Despite standing out in her region as the first woman from São Mateus to win a medal in a state tournament, her late start to training prevented her from pursuing her career further. "I cried at 16 when I realized I was too old for gymnastics," she says.

Following her mother's advice, Dias sought other avenues to leave a legacy in the world of Brazilian gymnastics. She entered the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES) with the goal of becoming a coach, but ended up discovering a passion for research. After completing her undergraduate and master's degrees in physical education, she decided to pursue her doctorate at Unicamp under the supervision of Eliana de Toledo, coordinator of the Laboratory of Research and Experiments in Gymnastics (Lapegi) at the School of Applied Sciences (FCA). The choice was largely due to the professor's involvement with institutional and academic initiatives related to human rights. "I needed someone with that openness," she states.

Dias used the oral history method, based on interviews. The researcher interviewed a total of eight former athletes from four different disciplines: one from acrobatic gymnastics, two (one woman and one man) from aerobics, three from women's artistic gymnastics, and two from rhythmic gymnastics. All of them accumulated titles throughout their careers and participated in major national and international competitions, including, in some cases, the Pan American Games, the Olympics, and world championships. Like the interviewer, most entered the sport through social projects and saw the number of Black and brown colleagues, numerous among the newcomers, gradually decrease as they ascended to the high-performance level. Of the group, only two former gymnasts began their training in private clubs, where white athletes predominate.

Unlike her usual approach with her students who dedicate themselves to oral history, Toledo did not attend the interviews conducted by Dias. "Even though Unicamp has an inclusive profile and my presence can be empathetic, I'm still a white woman with light eyes," explains the professor, also a former rhythmic gymnastics athlete. The concern with creating a comfortable environment for the interviewees facilitated the sharing of experiences of abuse and discrimination, demonstrating, according to the advisor, the importance of considering the ethnicity of the interlocutors when planning future studies based on the same methodology. "They didn't treat me as 'the other,' but rather as a member of the group," adds the research author. "There were frequent references to the fact that 'we,' Black people, know what it's like to experience prejudice firsthand."

Of the eight former gymnasts Dias interviewed, seven said they had experienced situations marked by the repercussions of racism in sport and tolerance of discriminatory practices. The researcher herself was surprised by the severity of the reported cases. Among them was the athlete who was suggested a bleach bath as a solution to make her skin the same color as the other members of her rhythmic gymnastics team, a sport in which there is greater pressure on athletes to conform to Eurocentric aesthetic standards. Another striking example was that of the gymnast who heard the following confession from her coach: "I like to pinch the little black girls because they don't turn purple."

The narratives demonstrate that Black gymnasts face what Dias calls a "double burden": the rigor of training and the violence of racism, in its many forms. The researcher emphasizes that not even the few Black and brown athletes from privileged social classes are immune to prejudice. "We are only accepted in a white environment because we are champions," the researcher affirms, echoing one of the men she interviewed.

The study also revealed that racial prejudice manifests itself differently in the four sports analyzed. Barriers are fewer in acrobatic gymnastics and aerobics, where Black teachers and coaches have been active since the 1980s. "These cases show that, despite obstacles, it is possible to create more open and less discriminatory spaces," emphasizes the study's author. Another important finding: the gymnastics world is becoming more inclusive. This was clear in the accounts of those interviewed, who said they were defended by coaches and state federation administrators in situations where they faced racism from other coaches, club members, referees, and other gymnasts.

Dias and Toledo hope their work will contribute to the eradication of racism in the various structures of Brazilian competitive gymnastics, so that Black athletes on the podiums of major national and international championships are no longer seen as heroes capable of overcoming all kinds of obstacles. "This is the role of public universities," says the professor, emphasizing the need, highlighted in the thesis, for the initial and continuing education of people involved in promoting social development through sport to include courses, debates, and policies related to anti-racist issues. "No one is doing anyone a favor by defending the guarantee of rights, much less by fighting to eliminate racial prejudice within a gymnastics gym," she adds.

Back in her hometown, Dias now works as a gymnastics teacher at various institutions and social projects. "I realized that my purpose wasn't to be a gymnast. My legacy is shaping up to be something that transcends gymnastics."