Contrôle des corps menstrués des gymnastes françaises en gymnastique rythmique depuis les années 1970

The issue of menstruation in rhythmic gymnastics (RG) has not been the subject of any scientific study. This article focuses on how French high-level (HL) gymnasts in RG, since the 1970s, experience their menstruation and how this can impact their athletic careers. The aim is to explore the bodily experiences of these HL gymnasts from the 1970s to the present day to document the cultural history of representations of female bodies and intimacy. The Foucauldian approach, combined with those of feminist socio-phenomenological theories, investigates how the experience of menstruation can be a source of oppression for these gymnasts due to the shame associated with monthly bleeding and the daily challenges they face. Two main findings emerge: the injunction to shape a slim and slender appearance is entangled with menstruation; and intensive training represents a form of control over the menstruating body. If menstruation disrupts the self-established order, particularly due to the bodily changes associated with it, the incorporation of pain during a career also seems to shape a resistance to menstrual pain.