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?

With respect, that is what the OP is saying. Calling gymnasts' clothes, makeup and hair tacky is rude and (at best) subjective. Yesterday was their day to shine and many of them have spoken about the joy they get from designing, choosing and wearing leotards. A woman who appears in an elaborate hair do has obviously spent time and effort on a look she wants. And there were gymnasts in all sorts of styles. How do we want to tell these women to look?

I'm not keen in sparkles but these women have a right to wear and enjoy them.

I'm more outraged over the Olympics letting men in outdoor sports (volleyball) wear comfortable, loose, long shorts and tshirts while women are required to wear bikini bottoms and tops.

Now THAT's sexist as fuck and grossly unfair.

Of course there’s a vein of sexism running through gymnastics- why wouldn’t there be? It’s everywhere else. And a sport that focuses on body movements is going to be a very fertile ground for pervy, misogynistic attitudes. OP may have taken it a bit too far, but the contingent of posters stridently arguing ‘nope, no sexism here’ are absolutely bonkers.

I’m sure it’s better than it used to be. But the fact remains that the women’s version of gymnastics is partly decorative whereas the men’s really isn’t, or certainly not to the same degree. I don’t know why so many women are so angered by this simple fact and desperate to deny it. It’s perfectly obvious that women’s versions of things, down the centuries, have been ‘prettier’, and this has usually been to the detriment of women; you can’t just be doing the thing; you have to be doing the thing looking pretty. This is feminism 101. Not sure why so many posters are so vociferously denying it.

So women are allowed a choice in what they do and wear but only if it meets your standards? Ever think they might enjoy it? Want to wear what they wear? Maybe they’re smiling because they’re fucking over the moon to be at the olympics? Get over yourself OP and stop degrading women by calling their choices infantile.

@Oftenaddled I don't think anyone is saying they don't have the right to wear leotards but they should have the free choice to wear a longer legged suit if they wish. Why is that a problem?

At the moment in the team event they all have to wear completely matching and in the individual they have to wear one of the countries leotard. It'd be nice if they made it so the team had the same design but if they didn't want the shorter leg it would be allowed.

It's not about saying no one should wear the leotard, it's giving choices (because as Jessica Ennis said, it's hard to speak up at the time when you feel you're moaning when you're in such a privileged position)

@BernardBlacksBreakfastWine i enjoy pretty things, i am a woman. I won’t be denied what i like just because another woman doesn’t agree with my choice. Women are angry because you’re telling us we’re not supposed to like what we do like simply because you don’t like it. We’re not one mass lump, we have our own preferences. This is why so many younger ones are so fucked off with feminism, you’re trying to denigrate things we actually care about.

You see a bit of flesh around the back of women gymnasts' leotards, but they are not allowed to show too much. Not sure how categorical anyone should seek to be here. They would be penalised for anything "thong" like. I don't faint away at the sight of an upper thigh / outer buttock. I don't want people kneeling around measuring exposed flesh.

I could do without the FIG using the word "modest" but that's in the code as it stands. And actually, elite gymnasts and their teams show common sense and you rarely see much flesh exposed. They are athletes. The male gaze may be unavoidable but if they were trying to provoke it for crotch shots etc, they'd emphasise a whole different raft of moves.

You've clearly never actually watched swimming, either male or female. Both costumes go down to their knees. Men's are far more revealing as since 2010 they have to swim bare-chested - before that they were as covered up as the women.

They do have a free choice to wear a longer legged suit if they choose though. Some did, yesterday. Teams can wear a mix of shapes if they want to.

Not a very popular option yet, and surely that is okay? Leotards are not indecent.

It’s not about denying choice. It’s about widening the choice. I’m not just talking about gymnastics here - but my overall point, which I’d say you’ve missed.

Sure, you like ‘pretty’ things. Fine. But is it likely that every woman likes the same aesthetic? Is it likely that every gymnast likes the sparkly, high-cut aesthetic? But if these are the looks that are routinely being pushed, how easy is it for the women who don’t like it to speak out?

The choice should be wider. In general.

@DoIWantTo

This is why so many younger ones are so fucked off with feminism, you’re trying to denigrate things we actually care about.

I’d actually love you to explain this. If, as a woman, you think feminism is your enemy, I’m afraid you haven’t understood it at all.

I’m sure it’s better than it used to be. But the fact remains that the women’s version of gymnastics is partly decorative whereas the men’s really isn’t, or certainly not to the same degree.

Just to clarify, are you talking about the clothing, the different requirements of the two sports or both?

I know there are other factors too. But become self conscious about parading around in a leotard all the time is one of them. My daughter a few of her friends quit in part because of this. Just because there are other reasons doesn’t make this reason okay.

Or figure skaters?

@Oftenaddled have all Olympic teams provided the option for longer legs? I must have missed this if so. I thought it was only Germany?

We’ve established that gymnasts don’t have to wear the sparkly costumes, so now we’re left with the question of why they choose to wear them?

They are infantilising. Even my 10 year old has grown out of sparkles and glitter. Gymnastics is a sport you have to start very young, usually preschool age. The extreme physical demands of the sport suppresses puberty and growth. The training is intensive. I’d suggest that most gymnasts have a very abnormal childhood characterised by long hours on the gym and limited exposure to experiences outside of gymnastics.

Both.

Yet again confusing what competitors choose to wear with the rules. See this photo of Canada vs US on Saturday. No bikini tops or bottoms in sight.

Team uniforms are a requirement in pretty much every sport. So some will like them and some won't. Then they get to choose their own for individual events. Many choose sparkles. Fine.

A lot of gymnastics competition is done in dark stadiums with artificial lighting. Sparkles work well there.

Many football strips look hideous to me but so what? I am not out there campaigning for them to change.

The sparkle aesthetic coincides with a period when gymnastics has huge star power, and women's earning in the sport is expanding. Great.

The rules allow it for all teams. I cannot for a second imagine that women with the star power and clout of Biles and Andrade would not be wearing them if they wanted to.

Why should gymnasts not be comfortable in leotards?

If you are deaf it's more likely you will be a Taylor Swift fan, to be fair.

Just because your 10 year old doesn't like glitter and sparkles anymore doesn't mean she's "grown out" of them...she just doesn't like them anymore. Some of the leotards have loads of glitter & sparkle, some of them just have wee hints of them - surely it's down to the gymnast's taste?

the older members of the German team seem the have made it their mission to be high profile, respected, visible athletes wearing unitards to show younger gymnasts that this choice is available, valid, and can look elegant (though the vast majority of German leotard designs are not my taste at all...). I really love them for that and think it's really cool, however, that doesn't directly translate to other current athletes actually liking them! The other gymnasts I have seen wearing cycling short length have been muslim. I very much doubt if Sunisa Lee went to USAG and said 'I want a unitard' that she would have been rejected. Tastes take time to change and those who really oppose leotards will have left the sport years ago and aren't here no to take up the unitard, we might find in 5-10 the girls who would have otherwise left the sport stick around and unitards become more common. Though I would be surprised if they ever become more widely worn than the iconic gymnastic shape of long sleeves and no legs.

Lots of women wear sparkles for special events and in entertainment settings. All elite sports people are likely unusual in some ways. But they are telling us they have agency. They are working on this aspect of the sport

It is okay for rational people to make choices you might not make. Fashion is a cultural artefact. Many people older than ten have worn and appreciated sparkles.

Also - Swarovski partnership deals and commercial opportunities matter. These women are no fools.

Figure skaters wear thick tights under their knickers, they don't skate bare-legged. So they don't necessarily need to depilate their pubic area and, anyway, the cameras are so close.