Olympic gymnastics humiliates and infantilises grown adult women

[Thebellofstclements]

The ridiculous leotards, the twee hairstyles. Having to do the ridiculous flicky "dance" moves (artistic expression, ha!) and grinning inanely (insanely) in between moves and when presenting...
Arguably the best athletes in the world but these grown adult women have to present themselves in a ridiculous, almost grotesquely infantile manner, looking fairy cheap and tacky.
The men do not.
My family argues that the gymnasts choose to do this.
We know that historically female gymnasts have been abused with no voice, so I'm not convinced this is all what they would necessarily choose given the option. AIBU?

@Iwasafool didn't that happen with tennis? Women didn't want to have to wear tennis dresses, they wanted the option to wear shorts? I am sure I remember something about that.

No one in the Olympics is “paid”. It’s amateurs

It's really difficult to know what the gymnast's true feelings are. One thing that comes out from abuse/ misconduct reviews are that the athlete didn't want to say anything as they knew they were privileged to be there. Especially as gymnastics is such a popular sport that there are so many waiting to fill your spot.

Saying that the athletes want to do the sport so they must be happy with all aspects of the uniform etc isn't true.

Jessica Ennis Hill has recently spoken out about how she found it difficult at times competing in small outfits but didn't feel able to speak out at the time.

The culture in some sport is changing but it's slow. It's hugely uncomfortable once you've scratched the surface of many sports. The conflict between loving the sport vs the not so nice parts forced on you must be immense.

These are US club and college rules. They are not mandated by the FIG and don't apply to elite international gymnastics. They are a matter of local culture and can certainly be challenged and amended.

Yes and no. If they are qualifying for the team final or competing in the team final they must wear the same, e.g. USA or Romania. If they are competing individually but have compatriots there too they are not required to wear the same but could choose to if they wanted, e.g. Germany. In stages of the competition that aren't team (all around final and event finals) gymnasts in the same final from the same country have no requirement to wear the same.

Some countries, especially those with lucrative sponsorships, get given a batch of leotards designed especially for the Olympics and so as to not fall foul of the sponsorship rules they use wear one of those, but there are many choices within the batch typically.

They usually wear ponytails or buns when competing. Makes sense really, that's what most women with long hair in their later teens, 20s and 30s do when exercising.

@Iwasafool "If a female gymast wanted to wear a completely plain leotard, or one that came down her like cycling shorts, no bows in her hair, no sequins, no make up, then I am sure she'd be entitled to do so"

No she wouldn't.

I think I understand the OP. It’s very similar to what goes on across dance and pageantry etc. The girls are there to look pretty and they have to smile and flick their hair while pointing their toes etc. The men can scowl and perform their routines determinedly and with vigour.

it’s steeped in tradition and little girls become young women and the glitter and fake tan follows them along hat transition.

Wasnt there some very fixed tennis rules for women’s tennis attire that got changed due to pressure from female athletes. Perhaps the same needs to happen with the new generation of female athletes. If there’s an appetite for it of course.

Fans and judges are not happy with the "flicky wrists" either! It's code for bad artistry. Successful artistry uses hand movements as part of the whole body movement. Look at gymnasts like Amalia Ghigoarta, Julia Soares or Ana Barbosu. I won't single out any current performers for criticism, but Nastia Liukin (otherwise much admired) was criticised for getting this wrong, for example.

When you watch a little, you look at the power gymnasts who are losing a few points on artistry and wonder why they can't just twirl and flap a bit. But planned artistry - careful extension and movement - takes stamina, and some gymnasts are more or less good at it. It's part of the whole routine. It should never look like an add on, and it's much more challenging than it looks.

I’m sure boyshort leotards would make no difference to the gymnast’s ability to sense and grip the equipment. There really is no need for high cut leotards that leave the legs and half the bum bare.

Women can scowl and perform with vigour, and they do, and they get rewarded for that.

Yes, she would. Try finding out the actual rules before criticising them. As has been pointed out numerous times on this thread, unitards are allowed and there is no requirement for bows, sequins or make up. See the photo up thread of Sarah Voss competing at the Olympics yesterday wearing a unitard with, as far as I can see, no bows or sequins.

Many girls quit gymnastics when they reach the teenage years because of the costumes, hair, periods etc. it’s a shame.

the only two adornments required on a gymnasts leotard as per the rules. One is the country they compete for flag, this is often a patch on the upper arm or at the hip. The second is their bib number, almost always pinned to their back.

She needs to wear the same leotard colours (not style) as the rest of her team in team competition.

In individual competition she can wear whatever leotard or unitard she likes so long as it is not too revealing of breasts, buttocks or genitals.

There are no rules around make up or hairstyle. Not every gymnast performing yesterday wore makeup. Most pinned and tied longer hair up. Nobody is obliged to wear sequins or bows, and many don't.

A team uniform is a normal thing in sports, and the rest of your post is not accurate for elite international gymnastics.

They aren't paid for competing in the Olympics itself but they are certainly not only amateurs who compete. Tennis players for a start. The national Rugby 7s squads get paid. It's their actual job. I am sure there are many other examples.

The men just do the tumbling the women have to do the ridiculous dancing shit too.

I loathe those bits, boring and how can you possibly mark it fairly? I fast forward and just watch the actual tumbling which just gets more incredible every year.

Ps. I used to be a Tumbling Judge just at regional level, but it was just runs, not the dancing shit.

Criticising women for "silly dance moves", "wiggles", "silly wrist flicks" etc while praising men for strength is the same kind of misogyny that leads parents to name their daughters James thinking it's a feminist statement - but then also choose a male name for their sons. No boys going around called Sarah or Jane.

If you don't enjoy the artistry side of women's gymnastics, then that's fine, go watch the men or the swimming or the athletics or any of the dozens of Olympics sports that don't include an artistic component.

You could say it's toxic masculinity that the men don't add the same elements to their code.

I enjoy watching women's gymnastics, diving, figure skating etc. The combination of grace, musicality, expression with the strength and agility is hugely impressive to me.

They would be better off in a costume with legs/ shorts to be honest, and I’ve always thought it

True but gymnasts have rarely worn bunches since the 1970s. Most of them wear their hair short or tie it up or back. There are waves of fashion as in the rest of life.

Velvet scrunchies were big in the 1990s, for example! Late 80s gymnasts had big curly mullets. It's not like dance with specific requirements, but fashion is a factor

I didn't read her post as belittling at all, quite the opposite. I understood her to be saying that these amazing athletes are being infantilised by silly sparkly costumes and dance moves. I thought the same thing when I watched yesterday.

Why is wearing traditionally feminine style clothing, having long hair (which needs to be securely out of the way for gymnastics) and smiling "infantilising"?

Presumably they wear what they are comfortable in.

Even if they designed and chose the costumes themselves?

They're on TV. It's the Olympics.

This feels like showing up at a wedding and complaining about the bride and bridesmaids dressing fancy.

For gods sake ... spectacularly missing the point!