That having a bikini wax shouldn't be a necessary part of any job?

[ThatsWotSheSaid]

I've been watching the amazing gymnastics at the olympics and every time I can't help but wonder if they are all happy to have such revealing gym costumes. I would hate to have a camera doing a slow mo when I'm legs akimbo in the air wearing so little even if the camera angles seem to be discrete.

I have tried to look up if there is a rule about the cut and if they wanted could they wear little shorts but I can't find anything. I did read if they remove a wedgie they get marked down?!

AIBU to think that in this day and age it seems a bit odd that these elite athletes need to be so scantily clad and that they probably have more to worry about than waxing, ingrowing hairs and itchiness in the run up to the games?

[ZaZathecat]

I hadn't thought about that but I've often wondered why female runners are in little bikini bottoms while the men's shorts are long.

[MangoMoon]

ZaZa, I would be horrified if the men ran in skimpy pant things!
There's too much movement as is!!

[RedHelenB]

Women can choose shorts or bikini bottoms to run in.

[Fluffsnuts]

You also get marked down for underwear showing (e.g. a bra strap) and pubic hair. It's an utter disgrace in this day and age with the sexism.

[SignedUpAgain]

i have noticed this as well, and almost worse for the women doing athletics in tiny outfits, bet the don't train in such pants as small.

[specialsubject]

Bit of a shock on saturday to get between - legs closeups of two heptathletes in the sports section of my paper - if i wanted that id buy the sun.

Lots of knicker tugging going on, not pretty. Some are wearing shorts and having none of these issues. Strangely the hammer throwers dont compete in their knickers...

[ComedyWing]

Hang on, is that true about being marked down for visible pubic hair or bra straps????

[Akire]

I thought this too after seeing men doing floor routine in shorts. Funnily enough you could see movements and legs perfectly fine! Fine line between like you say waxing it all off and inch or two more of give in fabric.

[JigglypuffsCaptor]

They do train in the pants, and the gymnasts all train in similar attire, sometimes with the shorts.

The reason the cut is so high is to see the full silhouette of the leg and to elongate it when pointed. Long straight and pointed toes. If you cut the leg off at the thigh (wearing shorts) it distorts the silhouette.

Also gymnasts love the exitment of the release of the team leotards, they enjoy wearing them.

I'm from the world of figure skating also we get marked down for knickers on show and fiddling withourself during a performance, the wedgie must stay in place I'm afraid.

[SpaceDinosaur]

Same as ballet.

[JigglypuffsCaptor]

Oh and no loss of marks for pubic hair as far as I know. Many just remove it and shave their legs because they feel more comfortable. I'm sure a woman could compete with a fuller than normal pubic hair line without loss of technical points.

[Thefitfatty]

Back in the day when I used to swim competitively we (men and women) used to shave every ounce of body hair off (except on our heads) before the biggest competition of the year (we'd let it grow the rest of the year). It could mean a whole .02 seconds off a time!

Shaving pubes was more to save the embarrassment of having it pop out of our suits. The boys were teased mercilessly when this happened to them.

Cyclists are the same I believe. And I can imagine having no body hair could have a benefit in gymnastics as well....

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

Is it really a job requirement? I think you could probably keep yourself "tidy" and that'd be fine. But a lot of people wax anyway, and not everyone gets itchiness or ingrown hairs. I wax anyway. I think a lot of my peers do. Touch wood, I've never had any ill effects!

The gymnasts I know are in excellent shape and rarely cover their legs regardless of whether they are in leotards or tiny shorts or dresses. I'd imagine the Olympians are the same, they look incredible, and you rarely see them opt for shorts!

[MyBreadIsEggy]

Same in ballet examinations.
Marked down for visible underwear/bra straps, visible pubes, removing a wedgie (amazing invention known as "butt glue" prevents the un-removable wedgie), fly away hairs, frayed threads on ribbons, any time of mark/staining on clothes....the list goes on.

[AuntieStella]

It seems to be a requirement in swimming and cycling - the sports where both sexes do it.

For the others it seems to be more an established norm (based on stereotypes?) or the current fashion (few years ago it was all running knickers and knee length socks for track and field, now it's back to little socks)

[Ladymayormaynot]

Butt glue ??? Ye Gods, the things people do for sport.

[cherryplumbanana]

I am grateful that they are not made to cover up frankly, and hope we'll stay in a world where you can see people having a choice. It would be horrendous if women were made to feel they had to hide something. What do they have to be ashamed of?

Many women seem to prefer having a clean bikini line. So what.

[Helmetbymidnight]

A clean bikini line as opposed to what?!

[MapleandPear]

Agreed cherryplum.

The worst outfit seems to be for both male and female cyclists. Not uncovered, but gives most of them a camel toe, and the camera angle at the start of the races seems to be saddle height.

[ThatsWotSheSaid]

I think why I've noticed it more in relation to gymnastics is the fact they do the splits mid air so it really on display.

I have thick black hair as do some of the gymnasts and even a very good wax will leave me with redness and the odd ingrowing hair. Also they are often young girls and at that age I would have been self conscience about wearing a leotard.

If it's al about the silhouette of the leg why do the men not wear them?

[cherryplumbanana]

as opposed to a hairy one. If you want to show your pubic hair on the beach or in a swimming pool, it's up to you. Most women don't. Each to their own.

[JigglypuffsCaptor]

And yes to who said legs always on show, I don't think I wore a skirt longer than my knicker line or shorts longer than my crotch when off the ice as a 18/19 year old haha

[MsVestibule]

The reason the cut is so high is to see the full silhouette of the leg and to elongate it when pointed. Long straight and pointed toes. If you cut the leg off at the thigh (wearing shorts) it distorts the silhouette.

So why do the men wear shorts? Genuine question.

[Helmetbymidnight]

Oh I see: clean is the opposite of hairy now.

Hairy is dirty.

Got it.

[ThatsWotSheSaid]

cheery I did not say I want them to be made to cover up. But if it was me I would want the option. I choose to wear shorts for swimming.