Diversidade e alteridade corporal: uma herança cultural perceptível na Ginástica Rítmica do Amazonas

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the bodily experiences of rhythmic gymnasts from Amazonas, Brazil. Throughout their sports careers, these athletes had undergone the physical adaptations required by the sport, reaching the adult high-performance category. The study seeks to analyze how their bodies had faced the demands of the discipline while also challenging paradigms related to body standards. It is important to highlight those rhythmic gymnastics originated in Europe, establishing a long-limbed body standard that differs from the physical biotype of gymnasts from Amazonas. The research works with the hypothesis that certain generations of gymnasts had a heightened awareness of this body standardization, experiencing discrimination as a result. The findings suggest that, as the sport has spread globally, body diversity has gained greater recognition, leading to new ways of evaluating performance. Additionally, the study emphasizes the role of alterity in acknowledging racial differences and the unique characteristics of each athlete within the same discipline. This research highlights the achievements and resilience of gymnasts from Amazonas as a legacy for future generations, shaping cultural capital and symbolic power based on Bourdieu’s theories (1989). The study employs ethnographic methods within historiography framework, incorporating semi- structured and open-ended interviews with both retired and current gymnasts. A qualitative, phenomenological approach is used, applying content analysis to the interviews. Ultimately, this research aims to expand discussions on decoloniality in sports.