To think beach volleyball is just an excuse for folk to perv at athletes in skimpy gear

[voluptuagoodshag]

I don't understand why it is even a distinct sport from normal volleyball. Surely it came about just because some folk were playing it on a beach? Why not then have beach gymnastics, or beach football or beach archery?

Right so I'm trying to think this out. They have to be tight to stop sand but tiny because of the heritage of the sport, even though longer clothes that were just as tight would do the job of sand excluding better?

OK I can sort of understand the reasoning behind the beach volleyball outfits - but (and ok it's not an Olympic sport) - can you tell me the reasoning behind the ones worn infemale American Football. It came on the TV when we were in US - I thought it was a spoof at first..

The sport in the Olympics is "volleyball" - there are two types of it.

Even if you don't think the individual events within a track and field, or swimming are individual sports, there are others with similar multiple types.

Cycling, has BMX, Track, Road, Mountain - 4 varieties.
Swimming, has Open Water and Pool based - 2 varieties.

They're different varieties of the same sport.

Why would anyone think it's the fault of the athletes?

And actually I would question why outfits in other disciplines are so skimpy too. If the sand gets everywhere wear tight clothing by all means but it that's the excuse then surely a pair of lycra shorts is going to do the job better than a minuscule bikini up the crack of your arse?

haggissaggis That is the uniform of the US Lingerie Football League it is not the uniforms of the real players, who just wear sensible football uniforms - iwflphoto.zenfolio.com/f876609242

Shooting and archery have been "competitive pastimes" for, er, a long time.

You are showing more ignorance with each post, OP, why not quit while you are behind?

Weren't Olympic Games traditionally performed in the nuddy pants?

I understand that they don't have a choice themselves as individuals other than to play or not play but if enough of them thought it was a daft kit I expect it could be changed. They must be happy with it as a group then. So that's that.

I have been around plenty of 17 year olds. I have teens.

Nope! I like being controversial. ;) I know shooting and archery have been around for a long time but I just don't see them in the same way as disciplines that involve intense physical exertion. It's called disagreeing opinion. Every single thing in life could be made competitive (seems the case actually) but what makes a sport a sport?

Yes I'm in NI.
Unfortunately I'm also a fat lazy sod 😊
If I was playing in Portrush I'd be wrapped in a duvet. Its not the warmest.

www.facebook.com/attn/videos/1104268306275294/

Not brilliant with links, but those of you following this thread might find the above video about female athletes and their appearance interesting...

What is actually wrong with athletes having their arms and legs and midriffs out?

I don't think it matters who makes the choice. It does look a bit sexist, and there is a definite gendered heritage to it, with women being told at one point that the outfit has to be a certain level of skimpiness to compete. I do think it diminishes the seriousness of some very, very good female athletes who I am sure work amazingly hard to play as well as they do. I'm glad the rules now allow women from cultures where wearing a bikini contravenes religious rules to compete.

I can't help thinking that there is an inbuilt inequality at the level of the viewer: that male sportspeople are assumed to be worth watching for what they do sportingly, whereas female sportspeople are assumed to be in need of some visual help to get people interested in what they are doing. (An extension of the principle that when there are no men doing sport, there must be women doing cheerleading in skimpy outfits to stop the viewer, assumed to be male, from getting bored). So maybe the best thing we could all do would be to get out and support womens sport more and insist that there is a sizeable female audience for these things that is sick of the assumption that all viewers are men?

That said - those diving trunks look plain uncomfortable as well.

Logo that is a very interesting analogy, as is the FB link posted by Helena. If every athlete, male and female wore tight shorts and a tight tee shirt then it would create an equal uniform and perhaps go some way to amend the default position that women need to be asked about their appearance. Even the presenters get more comments (Helen Skelton's top) than the actual sport she's commentating on!