Leah Monsees

• Project Researcher, Department of Sport Sciences, Malmö University

I have an interdisciplinary background within the social sciences, holding degrees in Peace and Conflict Studies (Malmö University), Gender Studies (Lund University) and the Sport Sciences.

My PhD research explored
1) how talent discourses are created and reinforced in German and Swedish media;
2) nuances in talent constructions comparing elite football environments;
3) organizational aspects and how they impact talent understandings;
4) the impact of technology and innovation on talent understandings.

Aside from my PhD research, I have published work discussing gender-based violence in social media commentary directed at female-dominated sports/activities such as hobby horsing. Moreover, I currently have work in review (co-written with Hans-Erik Næss) in which we have analyzed and discuss the sustainability policy of Formula 1.

Adding to this, I have lectured across several university courses over the past five years at the Bachelor's and Master's level, such as Gender and Sport I, Gender and Sport II or Sports Marketing.

I am also an invite-only blogger for the Nordic Sports Science Forum (idrottsforum) where I have written about different topics such as
- the commodification of post-athletic femininity particularly in light of the increasing usage of GLP-1 (commonly known as weightloss medication) by former athletes like Serena Williams;
- or discussed the public reactions to the pink and purple football jersey the men's national team of Germany presented in 2024 (a similar article was released 2 weeks later in The New York Times).

Right now, I am part of a research team working on a report in which we dive deeper into how elite level sport affects the lives and wellbeing of Judokas in Sweden. The report offers recommendations on how the Swedish Judo Association can support their athletes and thereby also improve performance metrics.

• –present Project Researcher, Malmö University

• 2025 Malmö University, Faculty of Education and Society, Department of Sport Sciences, PhD in the Sport Sciences

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