24th April 2024
On July 2021, Cheerleading became an official Olympic Sport. The new Olympic status means that an Olympic host nation is now able to select Cheerleading for inclusion at its games.
The ICU comprises of 119 members National Federations and includes over 10 million athletes across all 7 continents. Between the 119 countries are some unexpected countries, many with a very active base. Cheerleading began in the US in the late 19th century. There were almost no women cheerleaders until men went to war in the 40s. In the latter half of the 20th century it was feminised and sexualised, before evolving into a competitive athletic endeavour of its own as a result of second wave feminism.
In the last 12 months I spend some time travelling to some incredible countries exploring the wonderful world of Cheerleaders. Thanks to Kate Edward for the real support and Saturday Magazine for the incredible opportunity