Olympic athlete Elisa Molinarolo victim of body shaming denounces hater

The 2024 Olympics had us all glued to our screens. We watched with attention and engagement the swimming events, skeet shooting, volleyball, fencing, and all other sports. We fell in love with talented and captivating athletes like Thomas Ceccon, Simone Biles, and Sha'Carri Richardson, applauding their successes, sharing their disappointment when they didn't win a medal, and feeling outraged when other athletes or the press didn't treat them with the deserved respect, like the women's team épée gold medal being overshadowed by misogyny. Suddenly, athletes many of us were unaware of until recently became the center of attention, attracting both admiration and dislike, as well as an avalanche of unsolicited and disrespectful social media comments. The latest to become a target of haters is Elisa Molinarolo.

Body Shaming Against Elisa Molinarolo: What Was Said

A few days ago, the Italian pole vaulter celebrated her sixth-place finish at the Paris Olympics with a post on her Instagram profile, which also marked her personal best. Among the many positive comments and congratulations for her achievement, there was also a negative comment—a venomous and gratuitous critique, not of her performance, but of Molinarolo's physical appearance. "Certainly, if you had an athlete's body, you could have done much better," the comment began. Thus started the body shaming directed at the Olympian, which continued with even worse: "With that big butt, you’re unfit for an Olympic event." Offensive and completely inappropriate words.

Elisa Molinarolo's Response to the Haters

Molinarolo did not remain silent. The pole vaulter from Verona decided to respond in her Instagram stories, addressing those who, like her, have been or are victims of body shaming. "It doesn't matter if you're tall, short, thin, or curvy," wrote the Italian athlete. "What is certain is that you will never be good enough for the keyboard warrior of the moment," she wrote, expressing her anger towards those who hide behind social media to spread hate and hurt people without consequence. "I am very angry about what was written, for a very specific reason," she added. "On the other side of the screen, you find me, who over the years has endured the worst insults about my body, and by now, I've developed a thick skin. I’ve grown up and am aware of the journey I’m on with my nutritionist. But if, instead of me, there was a fragile person struggling with their reflection in the mirror in a moment of difficulty, what would have been the result?".

Solidarity Is Not Enough Against Body Shaming

Elisa Molinarolo’s words were received positively. Many shared her thoughts and expressed solidarity with the athlete, who thanked them by making an additional plea: "Words can cause enormous, sometimes irreparable, damage! I wish people would start addressing a real problem many are unaware of! If you can, help me share this topic for the sake of many people." Unfortunately, sharing alone is not enough to combat body shaming. A collective shift in perspective is necessary, one that dismantles the standardized idea of beauty and the notion that it is acceptable and normal to voice judgments about others' bodies, especially women's. We need to understand that these bodies should be celebrated beyond aesthetic value because they allow us to live our lives, do so many things, hug, dance, build houses, or win Olympic medals. And then, we should also stop venting our frustrations on social media, instead showing empathy and the common sense to keep unsolicited judgments to ourselves.