Equal to, different from, better than: The multiple bodies of women Olympic Weightlifters

In this paper, we explore how women athletes’ bodies may be simultaneously shaped by multiple—and at times contradictory—understandings of sex, gender, and athletic potential. To do so, we draw from Annemarie Mol's sociology of contrasts, a theoretical framework that emphasizes that individual bodies are multiple, composed of ontologically distinct, contrasting versions that exist alongside one another. We examine this topic in the context of Olympic Weightlifting in Aotearoa New Zealand, where the historically masculine sport is increasingly dominated by talented women athletes. Analyzing data with Mol's focus on the “practicalities, materialities, events” that contribute to the physical reality of bodies, we recount the sex- and gender-based training practices, objects, and policies that shaped women weightlifters’ bodies into versions that were equal to, different from, and better than those of men Olympic Weightlifters. Critically examining the promises and challenges of these bodies, we position Mol's sociology of contrasts as a promising method to explore questions of sex, gender, and physical capacity in sociocultural research on women's sporting bodily performance and potential.