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?

They don’t have to be gymnasts if they don’t want to. Who do you think is forcing them. They get paid peanuts. They can’t do a proper job as they train all day long. There must be a huge degree of wanting to do it or surely they wouldn’t.

Smiling is not required - on floor only, expressiveness matching the music is required. That's not necessarily smiling.

this a thousand times! one of the top regarded floor workers of recent times, with impeccable artistry, never smiled during her performances, she preferred to perform a tragedy and looked bereft throughout! But this meets the requirements just as much as a happy upbeat number that many choose (since they find it easier to interpret) the performance quality of the gymnast I mention meant that she scored better than many who did smile. So many people on this thread are just stating their unresearched and incorrect misconceptions as fact.

Here's the youngest team, Romania. Would you really call this excessive makeup for a televised event? Or undue attention to tying hair back? These are hardworking professional sportswomen having a moment they'll remember all their lives.

But can’t you see how sexist that is, that although both the men’s & women’s gymnasts both need the same strength & stamina the women are judged on whether they look pretty with ‘flicky hand movements’ and the men don’t?

I’ve always thought it very odd that the women’s gymnastics has an air of dance that they’re judged on whereas the male gymnasts can focus on the pure gymnastics. The women have to do more.

I think its a shame some of them wear so much make up. But maybe it gives them confidence, who knows?

The floor routine is supposed to be artistic - points are awarded for it.

No. I think it's sexist of you to value things that men are naturally inclined to be better at more highly than things that women are more naturally inclined to be better at.

Talking about 'flicky wrists' simply reveals your ignorance of the sport. The women's sport rewards balance, flexibility, dance, musical interpretation, presentation, artistry. If you don't value those things fine. Your loss. Don't denigrate amazing athletes and performers.

If the women want to do it they have to include an added layer of theatrical dance complexity, whereas if the men want to do it they can focus purely on the gymnastics at hand.

Why are the women expected to perform artistically over and above what they’re already doing? It’s inherently sexist and comes from a position of women’s strength alone not being celebrated enough, they have to look pretty too.

(while female gymnasts are marked down for not smiling enough).

Can you provide a link for that @Thebellofstclements ? It certainly wasn't the case when I was involved in artistic gymnastics.

And if that is the case, given that I a barely saw a smile in yesterday's competition, why would they choose to be marked down?

Nope. Women receive marks for artistry on floor and beam. The judges are looking for an overall performance, which includes expression, confidence and personal style, with a varied tempo throughout the routine. There’s no such element in the mens’ routines, so they actually have to work harder to stand out.

The German team are wearing unitards specifically because there have been concerns about the sexualisation of the sport and to address the participation of girls who are made uncomfortable by the traditional outfits. Sara Voss has spoken about this.

No one is marked down for not smiling. Where did this bollocks come from?

Gina Gogean wonders if her international success was all a dream 🫠

I think it’s a shame some judge how strangers want dress and make themselves up, especially when said strangers are the best in the world at what they do. But maybe it gives them a smug sense of self satisfaction, who knows?

There is no requirement for the women to look pretty.

There is no requirement for "flicky hand movements" though hands are used (naturally) in dance.

Men's and women's gymnastics are different sports. You could argue that men do more (six events). Men's are more based on upper body strength. Men and women make their own separate rules. Women's gymnastics is vastly more lucrative and popular in many countries.

Even the concept that women are naturally more inclined than men to display artistry etc is a very odd stance, plenty of men are professional dancers and display both strength & presentation.

I think your post is a bit out of date op. Some Eastern European competitors used to take puberty blockers and put their hair in like girl bunches and had old faces on child bodies, but the sport has moved on.

Now it’s great to see gymnast’s strong mature physiques. And their dynamism and energy. There is a ban on very young girls competing. And the routines are less “cutesy”; the emphasis is on power and strength.

Who cares if there is still a bit of bling involved? Female gymnasts don’t have to look like men necessarily. There’s room for a few sequins if they want that. No one is looking at Simone Biles flying through the air executing perfect death-defying vaults with grace and power, and questioning her choice of leotard!

I'm with you, I was watching some gymnastics yesterday with my DD, getting annoyed at their ridiculously skimpy outfits! Why can't they wear shorts like the men?!

I do think it's extremely creepy that they are not allowed to wear footless tights under their leotards,that the leotards themselves are very high cut and revealing of buttocks and apparently they are not allowed to wear knickers underneath either. While the men are allowed to wear unitards or shorts and vest.

They can. Maybe many will some day. But given the choice, many say they can feel and stick on the apparatus better bare legged. Look at the split wearing shoes (better for turning, worse for landing) and not. Look how some wear hand grips and some don't.

Their bodies, their choices. They've trained those bodies to their sport for years. They're hardly out there naked, are they? What is there to police here?

👏👏👏

They can't wear shorts over their leotards like men in international competition yet, though many nations are allowing this in their national championships and people are predicting before too long we will see this change at top level too. But they can wear a unitard with inbuilt legs coming to any length, I have seen mid-thigh, knee length, and ankle length.

Worth remembering the reason men don't wear tighter fitting shorts or just the unitard is because no-one wants to see a cock and balls flapping about.

They are allowed to wear full length legs. They are allowed to wear knickers. You have the wrong information here.

I have not RTFT but my father was a competitive ballroom dancer in the 1960s-1980s. He absolutely wore makeup and some glitter/sequins depending on the routine - different outfits for classics, different for latino. It was before I was born but my parents have plenty of photos from tournaments where he and his partner sparkled like glam rock stars.

The judges sit at a distance and are stationary, what we see on tv with closeups is very different from the actual show. The makeup is meant to enhance facial expressions, which are used to attract judges’ attention to various moves observed from a distance. Same with glitter and sequins, they are used to attract attention in places where the dancer can showcase graceful body lines and moves, and divert attention from weak points. I’m sure it’s the same in gymnastics.

I agree, I was pleased to see the female swimmers yesterday seemed to have a choice of costumes and some had opted for the more practical shorts than the skimpy barely covering your bits outfits.

Thought I would share a little video from this incredible woman who is still competing today as a 49 year old. Even back in 2008 when she won an Olympic bronze (as a mother of a young child who had just had cancer), she didn’t look cheap or tacky at all to me. Nor is she wearing make up or any special hairstyle - yet she’s regarded as one of the best athletes in the sports’ history - because of what she has achieved, not because of how much make up she has or hasn’t worn through the years. And it’s been varied, let me tell you!