European Athletics and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have introduced new broadcast guidelines that ask camera operators and directors to focus on sporting performance rather than images that could sexualise competitors. The move follows feedback from athletes who said certain camera angles and replay techniques not only distract them during competition but also expose them to online abuse after events.

The guidance, titled Raising the Bar, comes ahead of the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Although the recommendations are not legally binding, they are designed to encourage more respectful and performance-focused coverage of women’s athletics.

Why were the new guidelines introduced?

According to the EBU, the sexualisation of women athletes through selective camera work and editing remains a concern across sports broadcasting. While broadcasters aim to tell compelling stories, certain filming techniques have often shifted attention away from athletic achievement and towards an athlete’s body.

In the Raising the Bar guidelines, European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov said the recommendations are an important step towards eliminating harmful portrayals of women in sport while maintaining high production standards. He added that the organisation hopes the changes will reduce the chances of broadcast clips being taken out of context and shared inappropriately on social media.

What do the camera guidelines say?

The 23-page document includes practical examples of camera work that should be encouraged and techniques that should be avoided. Broadcasters are advised to:

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  Avoid prolonged close-up shots of specific body parts
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  Avoid low-angle shots filmed from behind or beneath athletes
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  Limit slow-motion replays that do not add technical or storytelling value
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  Use wider camera angles that better capture an athlete’s movement and technique
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  Prioritise visuals that explain the performance or technique

The guidance encourages broadcasters to use alternative approaches such as aerial shots, wider framing, and educational graphics that help viewers understand technique and tactics.

Athletes say the issue goes beyond television

British Olympic pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw said inappropriate camera angles can affect athletes even while they are competing because they become conscious of where cameras are positioned. She added that slow-motion footage of herself and other competitors had been used to create inappropriate videos, which often led to social media abuse.

Former world long jump champion Ivana Španović echoed the call for a different approach. She said athletics offers plenty of opportunities to showcase the beauty of movement and technical precision without relying on revealing angles. Instead, broadcasters can use innovative filming techniques that help audiences appreciate the skill involved in each event.

A wider push for respectful sports coverage

The recommendations build on similar initiatives introduced for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where camera operators received guidance to avoid unconscious gender bias and ensure coverage focused on competition rather than appearance.         

Morgan Rogers has completed a move to Chelsea from Aston Villa for an estimated £117m, signing a seven-year contract to become the Blues’ new record signing. The 23-year-old’s transfer to Stamford Bridge was finalised on Saturday.

Chelsea secured Rogers’s signature despite strong interest from Arsenal, who had been in talks with the England international and were considered favourites.

The opportunity to work with new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso was a key factor in persuading Rogers, who recently helped England to a third-place finish at the World Cup, to choose southwest London.

He started in the 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina in Atlanta last Wednesday, and the 6-4 win over France on Saturday that earned England the bronze medal.

He told his new club’s website: “I’m so excited. For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I’ve always admired since I was a kid.

“I’m really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we’ve got and where the club is heading. That’s why I’m here and I can’t wait to get started.”

A versatile forward who satisfies Chelsea’s need for a player that can play multiple attacking roles, he has enjoyed a rapid rise at Villa Park following his move from Middlesbrough in January 2024 and helped fire Villa to a top-four finish and the Europa League last season.

He leaves Villa having scored 31 times in 125 appearances under Unai Emery.

The deal represents one of the most significant buys of Chelsea owners BlueCo’s four-year reign and is the first serious sign that the club have moved on from their policy of exclusively signing young, untested players.

Co-owner Behdad Eghbali indicated towards the end of last season that the club had learned the lessons of an underwhelming campaign in which the team finished 10th and were thrashed in the Champions League last 16 by Paris Saint-Germain, and that they would be targeting players in the market that would be in a position to help them challenge for the title.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Alonso, a two-time Champions League winner as a player, was hired partly in order to convince the right calibre of player to move to Chelsea.

The deal for Rogers is arguably the biggest the club have pulled off since Cole Palmer moved from Manchester City in 2023.

Rogers becomes the fourth signing of the summer as the Blues overhaul their squad, following the arrivals of defender Marco Palestra, striker Emmanuel Emegha and winger Geovany Quenda.

In June, the club failed in an attempt to reunite Alonso with Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka, with Chelsea unwilling to meet the Black Cats’ valuation of a player who will turn 34 in September.