Insiders, outsiders and allies: Inga Löwdin and the promotion of women’s international XC skiing, 1946–1960
Journal article, 2025

This article traces the pivotal role of Swedish skier Inga Löwdin and her colleagues in institutionalising women’s XC skiing in the mid-twentieth century, in particular the strategic work within the male-dominated International Ski Federation (FIS) to advance women’s inclusion in World Championships and Olympic Games. The article highlights Löwdin’s use of ‘proximal authority’ and collective female networks to navigate gendered barriers, contrasting her role with male ‘bohemian’ outsiders who challenged norms through individual action. It also sheds light on tensions between different strategies for advancing women’s participation due to differing national socio-political contexts. Löwdin’s pragmatic approach–balancing institutional conformity with strategic resistance–enabled gradual structural change. Her work exemplifies how gendered outsider positions can be leveraged to influence sport governance, while also underscoring the limitations and compromises faced by women in leadership roles in sport. Ultimately, the article reframes notions of outsider agency through a gendered and institutional lens.

Inga Löwdin

sport leadership

women’s skiing

Elsa Roth

XC skiing

gender

FIS

Author

Anna Åberg

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Science, Technology and Society

Daniel Svensson

Malmö university

Sport in Society

1743-0437 (ISSN) 1743-0445 (eISSN)

Vol. In Press

Transforming Gender Boundaries in Sport Organizations: Women in FIS through the case of Inga Löwdin

Swedish Research Council for Sport Science (P2024-0114), 2024-01-01 -- 2024-12-31.

Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)

Gender Studies

Sport and Fitness Sciences

DOI

10.1080/17430437.2025.2596508

More information

Latest update

1/7/2026 2