OLYMPIC skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold believes a “worrying” media obsession with body image is discouraging many young girls from taking up sport.
Writing to mark International Women’s Day, Yarnold said she believed huge strides have been made in terms of achieving gender equality at the top level.
But she said concerns over shape and weight still need to be addressed – citing her own experience when she was put onto a diet of tinned tuna for breakfast after making the early switch from athletics.
Yarnold wrote: “The focus in the media on body image, particularly the focus on a slim female body image, is worrying and I’m sure does help fuel fears over showing off your body through sport.
“When I first started out in skeleton I was put on a very strict diet. The successful female athletes before me (Shelley Rudman and Amy Williams) were very different body shapes to me, they were slimmer and smaller and I was a size 14 strong former shot putter!
“My coaches thought that in order to be successful in skeleton, I would have to reduce my size.
“After a few weeks of eating a can of tuna for breakfast I couldn’t take it anymore. I explained that in order for me to be successful, I had to be happy and I had to feel confident.
“I knew by being myself I would be a better athlete, so I focused my energy on training harder and not trying to lose weight to be something I am not.”
Yarnold’s concerns mirror those of Sport England chief executive Jennie Price, who cited a “fear of judgement” as the main reason why participation levels among young women lag behind their male counterparts.
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