“And those malicious tongues who claim that sports and physical competition are unsuitable for delicate women, making them sturdy and Amazonian, should be ashamed of themselves. In the case of Mona-Lisa, as with many of our other athlete girls, this claim is false. Dressed in a formal attire, and why not on the track as well, the graceful Mona-Lisa compares to Miss International Beauty Anneli Björkling, who was also seen at the celebration.”
These sentences were written in Maaseudun Tulevaisuus on December 8, 1973, describing Finland’s Independence Day celebrations and some of the public figures attending. Sprinter Mona-Lisa Pursiainen had previously that year won the title of the Athlete of the Year, marking the first time a woman received this honor in Finland. In sports journalism, female athletes’ appearance had traditionally been in focus, especially for those who were involved in physically demanding sports: they often faced criticism and belittlement. After all, it was thought inappropriate for women to participate in sports that would increase muscle mass or require unladylike, sweaty exertion.
By the early 1970s, women had already begun to break into professional sports previously dominated by men. In Finland, running events had been male dominated for decades, but at this time, a number of Finnish women broke into the international rankings. One of these elite athletes was Pursiainen, who, the following year, would win two medals at the European Championships in Rome. Pursiainen’s press coverage is one of the examples that I and my colleague have analysed in a recently published article of the history of gender equality discourse in Finnish sports journalism in the 1970s and 1980s (Heikkinen and Kurvinen 2024).
In the article, we found that in the eight Finnish newspapers and magazines examined, the occurrence of the terms ”equality” and ”sports” together increased dramatically from the early 1970s through the late 1980s. The general trend of societal egalitarianism influenced sports culture as well, and signs of this shift were evident in sports journalism. The second wave of the women’s movement and social activism, advocating for equal work opportunities, equal pay, and social services, yielded results.
How, then, was equality in sports written about? Articles focusing on this theme emphasized a generally positive view of women’s sports. The health benefits of physical activity were acknowledged, and widespread participation was encouraged. As female athletes’ results and visibility grew, more attention was given to women’s training. A positive cycle had emerged, with growing demand for success. Nevertheless, certain factors still impacted the public image of gender equality in sports negatively. One of these was the emphasis on appearance over athletic achievements. Mona-Lisa Pursiainen was a favorite among journalists and sports photographers. It was fitting, given the era, to compare her to Anneli Björkling, who had won the Miss Scandinavia title a year before the featured image of the sprinter was taken.
In Finland, beauty pageants had a strong tradition. Already during the interwar period, Finnish contestants had won international pageants. When Finland hosted the Olympic Games in 1952, Armi Kuusela won the Miss Universe title that same year. For decades thereafter, beauty contests were among the most-watched television programs in the country. Beauty queens and sports heroes were regarded as shared national treasures, drawing widespread public interest.
In the 1970s, the long-standing amateur rules in sports began to erode. Professionalism and income from sports became more acceptable, and appearance became a marketing tool. Some sports organizations even adjusted their rules to permit more revealing attire in sports. Swimsuits made their way onto sports fields through the new aerobics culture and the growth of commercial media publicity. This trend was, of course, not only Finnish; international examples were widely imitated. Although the discourse on equality aimed to promote equal opportunities, sports journalism still treated the genders differently. As Sue Anstiss (2021) writes, the media is far from an innocent player; what is written, highlighted, and depicted matters. The attitudes and values that emerge in sports journalism shape our understanding of each other and ourselves.
Seppo Heikkinen
Seppo Heikkinen is a PhD student at Cultural History in University of Turku, Finland. Email: seppo.j.heikkinen@utu.fi
Image:
Sprinter Mona-Lisa Pursiainen at the Finnish Championships in Jyväskylä, 1974. Photographer Helge Heinonen 1974. Museovirasto JOKA. CC BY-ND 4.0.
Literature:
Heikkinen, Seppo & Kurvinen, Heidi (2024): Suomalaisen lehdistön keskustelu sukupuolten tasa-arvosta urheilussa 1970- ja 1980-luvulla. Sukupuolentutkimus – Genusforskning 37:2 (2024): 7–21.
https://journal.fi/sukupuolentutkimus/article/view/148984/95066.
Anstiss, Sue (2021): Game on The Unstoppable Rise of Womens’s Sport. London: Unbound.
