The Politics of Performing the Butterfly Stroke

Résumé du livre

In 2015, Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini used her competitive swimming skills to tow an inflatable dingy filled with 18 other refugees from Turkey to Greece. A year later, she competed in the 100-metre butterfly and the 100-metre freestyle at the 2016 Olympics under the refugee team flag. Bolstered by the International Olympic Committee's promotional efforts and a VISA commercial featuring Mardini, her story received international media attention. Her participation in the Games marks a clear instance of the intersecting performances that take place at elite international sporting events: athletic performance, performance of self, performance of nation (or lack thereof in Mardini's case), and performance of brand (VISA ; The IOC, Under Armour). In this chapter, Blair examines these overlapping performances and contends that the history of the butterfly stroke is integral to understanding the socio-political meanings prompted, and intentionally curated, by Mardini's participation in the Olympics.