To think that female athletes could be in shorts rather than arse-cheek-revealing pants?

I don't think it would be reasonable to forbid athletes to show flesh that is legally displayed on every beach in the country.

I don't see why they should be subjected to more restrictive rules than the rest of us, when their performance in their profession is at stake.

I would like it if there were rules stating that athletes must wear shorts, not pants, and then no one would have their bum hanging out for a competitive advantage. I would like all swimsuits and leotards to be cut so that bum cheeks are covered. I don’t want to see anyone hoiking their kit out of their crack ever again. There are very strict rules about e.g. swimsuits for swimmers rather than divers, so it’s definitely doable. And the appalling rule on women’s beach volleyball kit should be abolished pronto. If the men can play in baggy shorts, why must the women have briefs no larger than a certain size?

Thanks - no I haven't seen you criticise, and I'm sorry if I implied that. You'll have seen that many other posters are doing so, and that the thread is about this idea that women "should" wear different clothing!

Athletes want to perform at their personal best. Those with very high profiles and from wealthy countries can benefit from latest technologies, experimental fabrics etc. Some longer clothes will reduce cramping, help muscles etc.

But as a basic principle, minimal but supportive sports clothing is a proven formuls for aerodynamics. Big hair is a very tiny disadvantage in some sports but women (and men) will balance that against other priorities. That's their right, and women wearing short shorts are prioritising performance.

I personally just don't want to see people's arses or other parts of their bodies. I hated being around topless men in the small town we were at on holiday in Italy and was glad when they were asked to cover up by the locals as the locals found it disrespectful. Same for the girl who they asked to cover up who was with them in the ice cream parlour.

How do you cope around art galleries?

Same. We bought our water polo competition suits 2 sizes too small to stop the other team being able to use straps to grab on. They are all high necked with a zip up the back. They weren’t comfortable but that kind of isn’t the point at a certain level. They got the job done better than a regular swim suit.

@Natty13 Fell better now after being so sarky?

@Oftenaddled I have never once criticised anyone's choice of clothing. I said upthread my kit of choice was always cropped top and knicker shorts. Less was more for me. It shouldn't be expected though. There's a lot of pressure on athletes to conform- I know as I was one.

USA seem to have it right (which is surprising with the media frenzy when the kit was announced). The kit I have seen from GB has been good too- but it's fashion more than performance. Of course all the kit is fit for purpose but the longer shorts/ and vests are so light they won't slow you downs Speed suits were 'in' in the early 90s (Sally Gunnell era) then it moved to cropped tops and now back to speed suits.

Interestingly the top sprinters, She'Carri, Sherika, Shelly Ann usually wear slightly longer shorts and that doesn't seem to affect the huge amount of medals they have between them. Doubt wearing knicker shorts would shave much off their 100 times (they run super speedy looking amazing with their hair, nails etc).

With respect, while I do read it as coming from a real and fair concern, I think you have taken it for granted that bare flesh = sexualisation without considering the real and significant advantage clothing choices create for elite athletes.

That seems unfair on women who are at the Olympics to perform their best and have a lot more invested in getting that right than people watching at home. Women really do need the option of baring flesh to do their best in many sports.

@ForGreyKoala I had quoted an article about an Olympic bronze medalist discussing how happy she is (or isn't, in this case) about what she is wearing. Failing actually meeting an athlete personally, I don't know how else I can find out how they feel.

Anyway I feel like any athlete should be able to wear what they like, but they have to accept that if what they choose to wear impacts on their performance, they won't perform as well as someone else who is wearing something more performance enhancing. There's no getting around it. So our job, as supporters, is to stop commenting on what they're wearing and focus instead on their achievements.

As a competitive but non elite "athlete" in a hot and sweaty sport I train in more layers than I compete in - I train in a long sleeved tech top and leggings under my protective gear and compete in as little as possible... Especially if I've trained in Scotland for a competition in Paris in July...

I'd not wear briefs for running because my thighs chafe, and I suspect that many men, especially sprinters find their muscular thighs rub due to the narrower male pelvis plus additional muscle mass making short shorts uncomfortable.

Women's wider hips might well mean a thigh gap and no chafing misery...

What men wear shouldn't affect women's opportunities to wear the clothing that works best for their sport though.

Medals are won and lost on small differences. Some of those differences matter to competitors and they take the hit.

But there is no way spectators should be criticising women for not choosing less functional clothing.

@Oftenaddled I didn't say they don't have a choice, but they have a choice from a limited amount of kit.

It's not just about performance is it? Colin Jackson broke the world record in baggy shorts, many men still choose to wear them in many events (even high jump). All athletics kit is so light the difference it'll make will be tiny.

It's about fashion and sponsorship which is fine as long as young athletes are not felt to feel how Jess Ennis Hill felt, uncomfortable but forced to wear it as that's the done thing etc.

We may live in a world designed for men. But we also live in bodies designed to move. And they move better, generally speaking, in minimal but well fitted and supportive clothing.

Women should not have to cover up for ideological reasons.

My daughter competed at a national level in artistic swimming. She loved the costumes; the higher the leg the more extended you look in the water etc. Let the criticism, if any, come from the athletes. Otherwise we are just projecting our thoughts onto them while claiming they don’t have choices.

Also, athletes have warm-up layers to wear around until it's time for action.
They're not wandering around Paris in their performance kit between events.

But why are you saying they don't get a choice?

The thing we really don't get a choice about is physics, though. And broadly speaking, small clothes supporting key body parts (different btwn men and women) > nudity > larger and looser fitting clothes for aerodynamics.

These are functional clothes. There will be cases where women have personal styles, personal preferences, personal priorities. But atlhletes aren't wearing skimpy clothes to flash a bit of flesh. They are wearing outfits designed and / or known from experience to enhance their performance.

@ForGreyKoala that wasn't the case for Team GB in Rio though, I posted the link earlier in this thread. Holly Bradshaw didn't initially have access to appropriate kit that made her feel comfortable and had to get a rowing suit instead.

Fabulous for Katie and team USA (I loved Sha'Carri's kit this morning) but maybe not all federations have the same availability.

Goodness me, lots of STFU here from the pro-arse cheek people. How rude. Even if there is a bona fide reason for it, people have a right to question what might appear to be double standards or sexist defaults.

God knows, the IOC have sanctioned (and awarded gold medals for) male violence against women this week and they have warned the press not to report facts so the misogyny is most definitely alive and kicking (and covering their tracks).

FWIW op I agree with you. Lots of women seemingly ‘choose’ to wear oppressive and/or objectifying clothing to appease male standards because we live in a world designed for men. It’s a powerful and clever ideology that makes us all feel that women baring all is fine but men wear what’s practical. Just look at today’s news of Kayne West and his new wife. That’s patriarchy personified. The Olympics is turning out to be the same.

This is from an American pole vaulter:

"Olympic pole vaulter Katie Moon said: “I absolutely love people defending women, but we have at least 20 different combinations of a uniform to compete in with all the tops and bottoms available to us.”

There are rules, for every sport. Look it up. . Gymnasts used to be required to wear particular underpants that were visible under the costume but that has changed. Some sports attire improves performance, others it’s a style choice.
Not sure we need to tell other women what to wear.

On a daily basis, on the street, we are subjected to unsightly flesh why complain about elite athletes?

I voted YABU because if you look at the available uniforms, they have the choice of tight sorts, baggy shorts or running knickers.

So no-one is forcing anyone in to kit they don't want.

The point I'm making is that many of you have obviously never actually watched women competing anywhere but the Olympics so you can't call yourself sports fans - and yet you think you are entitled to have an opinion on what they wear!

If you are only watching sport so you can pass judgement on what athletes wear then why bother watching at all?

Honestly this type of thread and what feels like the 100s of others from women on here make me feel self conscious about what I wear when I exercise. I run quite a bit, running for me is more comfortable the less I wear. I don't get chub rub so short shorts work well for me, they are comfortable, my legs feel free and as cool as they can be, running in a sports bra is most comfortable too but something I only do when I am out in the middle of nowhere because I feel so self conscious of judgement but clothes clinging to my sweaty body is uncomfortable.

The constant comment on what women choose to wear while exercising, the making it about you and how you feel looking at our bodies, it's gross and unnecessary. It's wraped up as concern but it reads like judgement to me. Women have the choice of what they want to wear, let them choose for whatever reasons they want, if it's because they are proud of their abs or they don't like fabric sticking to their bodies, it's of no concern to you. Just look away if women's bodies make you feel uncomfortable.

@ForGreyKoala and that is amazing that she feels happy with what she wears and absolutely shouldn't be forced to wear anything else. It's not unreasonable to ask that others also get to wear what they're comfortable in without a battle whether that's a cropped top or something covering more like Holly asked for?