Le risque calculé dans le défi sportif

Abstract

Highly-risky sports - moto-cross, skin-diving - are the only social practices one apparently chooses for what they are and which reveal the physical integrity of the competitors, with a strict adherence to legality. What do we expect, what do they expect from these already settled bold strokes ? Sportsmen are often credited with deviant and suicidal behaviours, in open rebellion against the established standards. All the elements linked to the notion of games as well as their specific features and the results of two surveys carried out with hundreds of sportsmen have revealed a totally different tactics. When performing, sportsmen use to the best account their self-control and take advantage of the situation. Indeed, it is because of the risks they take and which seem to be devoided of any objective counterpart, that these brilliant acrobats are able to idealize to the utmost some moral criteria for which they are at last completely allowed to risk themselves/to take risks.