in brief: Russia markets female athletes as sex objects for Sochi

Image: Wikimedia Commons

With the world gearing up for the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, Russian media are showcasing their nation’s female athletes with their gear off.

Russian website AdMe.Ru has posted a series of photographs, believing ‘Russian sportswomen are the best campaigners for [their] team in Sochi*’, albeit for the wrong reasons.

The photographs depict the medal-winning Russian athletes in lingerie doing typical sex kitten poses for the male gaze.

The images are notably out of context with their sport – despite some using sporting equipment as props – with AdMe.Ru further stating, ‘we sincerely support our team and believe that its strength is not only in sports achievements’.

‘Our Russian Olympic team defies stereotype that women in sport are just a heap of muscles and masculine shapes.’

The images were brought to the West after the Daily Mail published the set without much comment other than asserting the athletes were a warm welcome to the international community.

This sexism is just one of many human rights abuses currently in the spotlight as the world casts its gaze on Russia for the Sochi games.

*Russian translations provided by the Daily Mail.