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?

Pluvia

So where does swimming come into the gymnastics? Why would removing your pubes improve your performance in gymnastics? Distinct lack of rational thinking in evidence“

Perhaps they want to? That’s the great thing about choice.

This reminds of a Facebook post that I saw recently showing Arnold Schwarzenegger posing with two athletes at the Special Olympics. Some idiot posted a derogatory comment poking fun at the athletes. The actor replied with a brilliant message about how admirable these sportspeople are and how much of pathetic loser this guy was.

The same could be said to you, OP. Training for gymnastics athletes is a gruelling odyssey, a relentless pursuit of perfection. The sacrifices required are monumental. You on the other hand spend your life slagging off people behind a screen.

These girls are commendable and any family member, partner or friend will feel privileged for having such a person in their life. I doubt the same could said about you.

Get a life.

High level gymnastics has changed drastically in the last 15 or so years. It's a power sport now. It doesn't favor the tiny bodies of teenagers. The Chinese women's team went from being a major compedator to a fairly weak team because they have had a hard time adjusting. Most athletes are in their twenties and in college.

Precisely this! They have to put their hair up tightly because they can get deductions if it touches the apparatus. It's also a safety issue. Nothing twee about it. Trying to get shorter bits of hair to stay back require braiding and lots of gel!

not trying to be a know-it-all but there are no deductions for hair on apparatus. Gymnasts will intentionally touch their head (and therefore hair) to the beam and floor at times and this is just fine. If they accidentally bash their head on the beam there will be a dedication, but not because hair touched. Similarly no gymnast will want hair to touch bars or vault table, but this is because they won't want their head that close! Pulled back styles are popular as they minimise distractions, and reduce the risk of long hair getting trapped, but are not in the rules, there is zero mention of hair in the Code of Points, some ladies with very short hair opt to wear it loose.

Oh ok, sorry

You have raised some very important questions. The German team has -I think- competed in the past in unitards with long legs. Similar comments have been made by beach volleyball teams. Given how many girls drop out of sports because of body concerns having options more more coverage makes total sense?

LOVED the chinese women’s leotards 🤩, and the men’s as well. Apparently the women’s have a phoenix and the men’s have a dragon. Loved the women’s more than than the men’s though because of the sparkles ✨ The men should wear more sparkles if they want my vote. Ironically if they did they’d be ‘stunning and brave’ but when women do it they’re humiliated and infantilised 🙄

Yes, the unitard option exists and some wore it to these Olympics.

Athletes who chose not to wear it included:

The US team, who prefer the leotard.

The sole Indonesian representative, who has received death threats for wearing a leotard

The Brazilian team, whose oldest team member designs their leotards

The youngest German gymnast - the older two wore it

The unitard has been around since the last Olympics. Young gymnasts don't really seem to be embracing it, but of course it is great that they have the choice so long as they are not criticised for preferring leotards.

(I know you haven't criticised clothing choices, but others have)

You could try looking at the posts on this thread from people who are, or were, gymnasts.

They are mostly in their 20s.

They don't have to wear leotards. They can choose a unitard if they wish. They don't appear to find it traumatic. The US team had a lot of input into the design of their costume and one of the Brazilian gymnasts designed theirs.

I wouldn't describe what they do as scraping their hair back, but they arrange it so that it isn't going to interfere with their routines. You don't want hair flying wild and getting in your face whilst attempting a gymnastics routine.

“I do think these young girls having to wear a leotard must be very traumatic. Scarping their hair back is very damaging too”

whaaat. I think people are projecting massively. Watching the finals was amazing. I loved watching, my husband loved watching, my children loved watching. The women were all amazing. I suspect they would tell you to do one for seeking to rain on their parade.

What trauma? People have worn leotards, short shorts, swimsuits, bikinis, thongs, loin cloths - and indeed nothing at all without suffering trauma.

They should certainly have a choice about what to wear. Fortunately, they do.

Women tying their hair up tightly for a couple of competitions a month is not going to damage it.

I'm really not sure if your post was serious. Sorry if I missed the joke.

Female gymnasts are also permitted to wear outfits that cover more.

She was 19 (considered relatively old at the time) in her first Olympics. I'm surprised you'd not roughly figured it out from the fact this is her third games though. All the US team bar Hezley were in Tokyo.

I'm 37 and still do gymnastics (not to anywhere near Olympic standard!) and I can honestly say it's no harder than when I was 27. Becky Downie is 32 and had the highest bar routine score of the entire Team Final on Tuesday. Chuso is 49 and only isn't at these Olympics because of injury - she's still one of the best vaulters in the world.

Agreed - I saw the Chinese gymnast taking out her really tight bun straight after competing and it did not feel right that a world class athlete has to wear her hair in a stupidly uncomfortable style in order to compete.

She doesn't. There are women with ponytails, short hair etc competing. Letting your hair down after a public performance or appearance is normal behaviour. I see women who wear their hair tight and women who wear their hair loose every day on the train, at work etc.

A gymnast could wear her hair loose and long if she wanted to, by the rules, but they do need unimpaired vision and they are there to compete.

Weird comments. What do you mean you can't imagine doing gymnastics at 27?
Putting hair up is hardly damaging and I doubt they are traumatised.
Or are your comments supposed to be tongue in cheek.

There was trauma and damage in my childhood & gymnastics career. Absolutely none of it was due to wearing a leotard or putting my hair in a ponytail or bun for training and competition.

These are elite athletes, please stop pretending they're too delicate or dim to make a decision about their own hairstyles.

I agree with you, OP. I find all the dancing bits distracting so I prefer the men’s.

Can someone post a photo please? I haven’t been watching

A photo of what?

@NicoleSkidman

men?? You mean the toddler outfits??

Nobody minds OP preferring men's gymnastics. That's great. They are different sports, so of course people will prefer one to the other.

They mind the criticism of the women's sport as silly and the denigration of their clothes and appearances as tacky, cheap, etc.

Of what is so bad about the gymnasts hairstyles etc (as mentioned in OP)