Ghost Administrators: Re-centring Marisa Bonacossa, Lydia Zanchi and Suzanne Otth Within International Sport Organizations

Hence, the aim of this chapter is to highlight that, despite the fact that no women have occupied political positions in international sporting institutions, they were not absent from this “manly” world. They could be involved as wives, daughters, secretaries or other employees. However despite these very defined roles imposed by society, their action inside the organization of sports bodies could be far from neutral. This paper offers preliminary reflections on three women who have been underestimated or ignored in the commemorative books of each sporting body, not really recognized by the sports journalists of the epoch nor by more recent scholarly work. However, they were involved in the development of international sports organizations from the interwar period to the 1970s. The choice of this chronology is relevant for two reasons. On the one hand, it corresponds to a time when the main international sports organizations affirmed their existence and confirmed a monopoly on the regulation of their sport on the international stage. On the other hand, the period was marked by an increasing participation of women in the labour force and particularly as employees of European administrations.