To think these Olympics uniforms are sexist and degrading?

[Boombatty]

Nike has revealed the US team's uniforms for their athletes. The men's one is knee length shorts and a vest. The women's is a high rise leotard that I can't imagine any woman being able to wear without her labia hanging out, let alone perform an Olympic sport in.

AIBU to think these uniforms are sexist and degrading to women?

If women are out there arguing that actually a skimpy bikini is better for athleticism, where are the men complaining that they don't get the option? Surely it hampers their athletic ability?

We know that the outfit designers can do wang-technology because Tom Daley doesn't seem to worry about his flopping out on the diving board, so that's clearly not the issue.

Ding ding ding.

That outfit isn't the only option available but it's the option that has everyone talking about Nike today.

Some female athletes will choose to wear the skimpy outfit because they want to, which will defuse a lot of the talk (which will only last for 24 hours anyway, such is the nature of the publicity cycle). Other female athletes will opt for the less skimpy one and when that appears it will look like Nike "listened to the criticism". It's a win for the company.

The biggest issue female athletes face is, as ever, funding. That doesn't get the headlines though.

it's the option that has everyone talking about Nike today.

That's assuming you believe that there's no such thing as bad publicity, which isn't true when you're trying to sell something.

I don't think Nike execs are currently high-fiving around the conference table saying 'YES! People are saying we're misogynist and sexually exploiting athletes!'

I'm pretty sure the pole vaulted Holly Bradshaw made a similar point ar the last Olympics. The (limited) choices were a crop top and very short shortS, or knickers. She had an all in one suit with cycling shorts made for her....but why could something similar not be offered as standard?

Sifan Hassan has slightly broken the mould by wearing a full length vest and longer shorts for running. I'm unsure whether the more modest kit is for religious reasons but it clearly is possible to make a wider variety of kit options (that is proven to be equally suited to the sport as tiny kit)

A-bloody-men.

But does it come with legwarmers?

I understand that there is a choice, but will it be the case that all women get to choose themselves? Or will, in some cases, managers and coaches choose for them the outfit that they think will look the best on them? And if you're a young woman trying to grab an opportunity it would be hard to say no. And what about the team sports like volleyball? Will they all individually get to choose their outfit or will they have to all be matching whether they all like it or not?

Frankly my first thought was "why are they pink rather than red, white and/or blue?" Oh because pink is for girls and trivial. But national colours for the men who are doing the important sports.

My daughter is a sprinter. I attend many athletic competitions. Some women wear very skimpy briefs for sprinting and jumping others like more coverage.
DD wears shorts. What's wrong with having a choice? This is just one of the kit options for women, they aren't being made to waer it. (WHICH WOULD BE WRONG)

If it's such a good thing for women to have that choice, why don't the men have it?

I don't have an issue with the bikini bottoms (although I'd be going for the shorts option) but with the cut.

I don't think Olympic athletes should have to think about waxing their pubes to wear athletic attire. Surely just another couple of cms of fabric at the front would have made this unnecessary?

"If this outfit was truly beneficial to physical performance, men would wear it"

👏👏👏

Why is the women's one pink?

That's what irritates me the most tbh - why aren't both styles the same colour?

I think it’s lavender. 😂. Lavender is the color for sports right now. It was all over the ncaa basketball finals both in lighting and uniforms particularly teams that have a shade of purple. Men’s and women’s. Much I don’t like about Nike but many years ago the US athletes showed up to the opening ceremony in r/w/b with cowboy hats while Canada had cool sorta beret like hats from Root. The USA athletes made it clear they felt silly and stereotyped. This started a huge movement of stylish more trendy uniforms for the athletes in style and color. It’s a riff on r/w/b.

So is there a lavender alternative for the blokes in this Olympic kit?

Bush or no bush, if participants can choose whatever outfit they want to wear, and the US tennis players decide to wear that to make a point… just imagine all the sliding about on clay they’ll be doing at Roland Garros!

Women should not have to remove their pubic hair in order to take part in any activity. Except possibly sex work.

It’s absolutely unbelievable and yet here we are!

Male athletes wear a variety of kit, short loose shorts, knee length, thigh length, one piece ..........not all of men like the tight lycra look!

Well Dylan Mulvaney certainly won’t be doing high kicks in his back garden in that!!

Erm... no. Not even that.

It isn’t pink. It’s red, white and blue stripes.

They are horrendous. People are saying other options are available - OK, but why is this one available at all? Whose benefit is it for? Not the female athletes, that's for sure.

On top of the Mary Earps issue you'd have to think Nike isn't too fussed about taking womens sports seriously. That's practically Baywatch.

The kits for the men are indecent as well - at least for the sprinters. They leave precisely nothing to the imagination.