BBC Elite British Sportswomen's Study 2024 results
- Published
The BBC's elite British sportswomen's study questionnaire was sent to 615 athletes in 28 different sports and received 143 responses.
It is the fourth time BBC Sport has sent one out, with results also published in 2013, 2015 and 2020.
Full 2024 study results
1. Are you a full-time athlete?
Yes: 93
No: 50
2. What is your pre-tax annual income from sport (including grants, funding, prize money, salary, sponsorship)?
Nothing: 13
Under £10,000: 52
£10,000-£20,000: 24
£20,000-£30,000: 26
£30,000-£40,00: 9
£40,000-£50,000: 2
£50,000-£60,000: 2
£60,000-£70,000: 1
£70,000-£80,000: 6
£80,000-£90,000: 0
£100,000-£500,000: 6
£500,000-£1m: 2
£1m+: 0
3. What percentage comes from prize money?
0%: 97
25%: 30
50%: 5
75%: 8
100%: 2
Did not answer: 1
4. What percentage comes from funding or a salary given to you by your club or governing body?
0%: 44
25%: 9
50%: 6
75%: 24
100%: 60
5. Compared with sportsmen, do you feel sportswomen are paid enough and the financial rewards are adequate?
Yes: 19
No: 110
Don't know: 14
6. Has the cost of living crisis led you to considering giving up on your sport?
Yes: 51
No: 86
Prefer not to say: 6
7. Do you think the media does enough to promote women's sport?
Yes: 26
No: 108
Don't know: 9
8. Do you think media coverage of women's sport has improved over the last five years?
Yes: 137
No: 5
Don't know: 1
9. Do you think the media reports on men's and women's sport differently?
Yes: 128
No: 7
Don't know: 8
10. Have you ever been trolled on social media?
Yes: 56
No: 76
Don't know: 9
Don't wish to answer: 2
11. If you have been trolled, have you ever received social media abuse of a sexual nature?
Yes: 32
No: 92
Don't wish to answer: 6
12. How do you feel about your body image?
Very positive: 6
Positive: 39
Neutral: 48
Negative: 41
Very negative: 8
Did not answer: 1
13. Have you ever experienced disordered eating?
Yes: 52
No: 79
Don't know: 9
Don't wish to answer: 3
14. Do you feel supported by your club/governing body to have a baby and continue to compete?
Yes: 36
No: 56
Not applicable: 45
Prefer not to say: 6
15. Do you know what your club/governing body's parental leave policy would be if you were to have a baby while competing?
Yes: 32
No: 86
Not applicable: 25
16. Have you delayed starting a family because of your sporting career?
Yes: 47
No: 43
Not applicable/don't wish to answer: 53
17. Have you ever had an abortion because you felt a baby would impact your sporting career?
Yes: 6
No: 96
Not applicable: 38
Don't wish to answer: 2
Did not answer: 1
18. Is your performance affected by your period or have you ever missed training/competition because of your period?
Yes: 88
No: 46
Don't know: 7
Not applicable: 2
19. Do you take a contraceptive pill specifically to control the impact your period has on your performance?
Yes: 38
No: 100
Not applicable: 5
20. Do you feel comfortable discussing your period with coaches?
Yes: 78
No: 52
Don't know: 8
Not applicable/don't wish to answer: 4
Did not answer: 1
21. Have you experienced a link between your menstrual cycle and injury?
Yes: 34
No: 71
Don't know: 35
Not applicable/prefer not to say: 2
Did not answer: 1
22. How comfortable do you feel about transgender athletes competing in female categories in your sport?
Very comfortable: 6
Comfortable: 5
Neutral: 21
Uncomfortable: 45
Very uncomfortable: 59
Not applicable/don't wish to answer: 5
Did not answer: 2
23. How comfortable would you feel speaking publicly on the topic of transgender athletes competing in female categories in your sport?
Very comfortable: 6
Comfortable: 13
Neutral: 21
Uncomfortable: 50
Very uncomfortable: 46
Not applicable/don't wish to answer: 6
Did not answer: 1
24. Have you experienced sexism in your sport?
Yes: 103
No: 32
Don't know: 7
Don't wish to answer: 1
25. Have you experienced any other form of discrimination in your sport?
Yes: 60
No: 77
Don't know: 6
26. If you have experienced discrimination, including sexism, in sport, did you report it?
Yes: 10
No: 98
Not applicable: 34
Did not answer: 1
27. Was action taken as a result of you reporting discrimination?
Yes: 4
No: 24
Don't know: 7
Not applicable: 104
Did not answer: 4
28. Would you describe any of the coaching methods you've experienced as abusive?
Yes: 31
No: 104
Don't know: 8
29. Have you ever reported abuse in sport?
Yes: 21
No: 107
Not applicable: 15
30. If you did report abuse, were you satisfied with the outcome?
Yes: 7
No: 24
Not applicable: 111
Did not answer: 1
31. If you were to report abuse, how confident are you that it would be investigated properly?
Very confident: 10
Confident: 45
Neutral: 35
Not confident: 31
Not at all confident: 11
Not applicable: 10
Did not answer: 1
32. Do you think you get enough coaching support compared with men?
Yes: 84
No: 47
Don't know: 12
33. Do you believe your governing body supports you equally compared with male colleagues?
Yes: 77
No: 45
Don't know: 20
Did not answer: 1
34. Would you have different rules in the women's version of your sport, to those that the men's sport has? For example, a smaller goal, different ball size etc.
Yes: 33
No: 102
Don't know: 7
Did not answer: 1
35. Is the majority of the equipment you use specifically designed for women? For example, boots or trainers, helmets, clothing etc.
Yes: 38
No: 99
Don't know: 6
36. Do you think that the quality of facilities or equipment you use could cause you injury?
Yes: 33
No: 96
Don't know: 14
The electronic questionnaire was sent to representatives of archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, bobsleigh and skeleton, boccia, boxing, canoeing, climbing, cricket, curling, cycling, darts, equestrian, fencing, football, goalball, golf, gymnastics, hockey, horse racing, judo, MMA, motorsport, netball, rugby league, rugby union, sailing, shooting, skateboarding, short-track and figure skating, skiing and snowboarding, squash, surfing, swimming including diving, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting. The questionnaire was anonymous. We did not receive responses from basketball, bobsleigh and skeleton, climbing, darts, horse racing, motorsport, shooting, short-track and figure skating, swimming including diving, table tennis, weightlifting.
Full details of the 2020 questionnaire are here.
Full details of the 2015 questionnaire are here.
Full details of the 2013 questionnaire are here.