Sexism in the modern olympic games and the role of female athletes

This study examines the historical, sociocultural, and media representations of female athletes in the context of the Olympic Games using a bibliometric approach based on literature published between 2000 and 2025. The historical development, stretching from exclusionary practices in the ancient Olympics to equality policies in the modern era, demonstrates that women's participation in sports has always been determined by gender norms, sexist discourses, and institutional barriers. The findings reveal that the increasing presence of women in the modern Olympics has generated a significant momentum in academic production, particularly after the 2012 London, 2016 Rio, and 2020 Tokyo Games. A total of 82 articles were evaluated within the scope of the bibliometric analysis; it was determined that the publications were largely US- and European-centric, with gender, media representation, Olympic coverage, and cultural identity forming the most prevalent thematic axes of the literature. Thematic maps demonstrate an evolution in research over time, from women's participation in the Olympics to media framing, and then to gender equality and cultural diversity. The study demonstrates that the media representation of female athletes is still reproduced through stereotyping, sexualizing, and achievement-discrediting discourses; despite numerical equality, qualitative inequalities persist. The empowerment of self-representation practices through social media has created a new space providing visibility for female athletes, but this space has been found to contain restrictive dimensions due to platform policies and digital violence. The study concludes that the literature on the representation of female athletes in the Olympics is expanding, that equality debates continue at structural and discursive levels, and that studies focusing on media representation, institutional gender equality policies, and cultural identity warrant further in-depth examination in the future.