Readers should also refer to the journal's website at http://www.informaworld.com/rqrs and check volume 2, issue 2 to view the visual material in colour.This study examined how female athletes prefer to be represented photographically. In past research, such representations can be interpreted as an expression of power, agency and resistance as well as constrained by the patriarchal construction of women's sport. Our exploration of athletes' choice of representation is grounded in a multidisciplinary perspective that joins feminist cultural studies and social psychological theory. Twenty female college athletes participated in a photo shoot in which they selected how they would be portrayed (e.g., attire, location, pose) and a short interview in which they chose and discussed their favourite photograph. Analysis of the athlete interviews revealed four primary higher order themes emerging from the data: being an athlete, psychological characteristics, social identities and progressive interpretation of femininity. Overall, the participants emphasised the power and strength of female athletes, which we interpret to signify pride in their athleticism and musculature. Why these photographs differ considerably from typical media images of female athletes are discussed relative to our conceptual framework.

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Building on previous research in which we provided an opportunity for female college athletes to construct their own photographic portrayals, this study explored young female athletes' perceptions of the college athlete photographs. Fifty-two girls participated in focus group interviews where they viewed and discussed the images. The young athletes particularly liked images they perceived to show authentic athletes (e.g, in athletic settings, with appropriate sport attire), images they could relate to due to personal experiences, and images that reflected competent and passionate sportswomen. Images perceived as revealing a lack of motivation, poor sporting attitudes, and nonathletic poses generally were disliked. Images depicting multiple social identities (e.g., an athlete in a dress) were controversial and generated much discussion.

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