To think that female athletes could be in shorts rather than arse-cheek-revealing pants?

[Corksoles]

I've just watched several athletes with tan lines that suggest their usual and thus presumably preferred leg wear is short length. Why isn't that the uniform style for the Olympics? (Although shout out to Ethiopia - nice shorts!)

I can see the track athletes' (and could see the gymnasts') arse cheeks. I don't get it. It makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, not least as presumably a fair chunk will be on their periods. And if I was a rather brilliant 17 year old, on this huge global stage, I think I'd rather wear what I was used to.

Haven't seen one bloke's arse cheek.

YABU - let's see women's arses. Must be for sport and not because these decisions are taken by old men.

YANBU - more functional shorts.

Poor Korbut was raped repeatedly by her coach. She was described as "haggard" by the New York Times at nineteen, because she was past it compared with Nadia Comaneci. She was judged on how girlish she looked in the media - they wanted sweet smiling Olga "playing" on the floor. Meanwhile, she was part of a Soviet team that turned a blind eye to excessive underage smoking and drinking to deal with stress, and saw gymnasts as part of the state's diplomatic strategy.

She was a brilliant gymnast but she is not an example of a woman who was free to make her own clothing choices.

She was also competing on different equipment, under different lighting, 50 years ago, with different fabrics, fashion, conditioning and sports science. The rules of gymnastics were different and the 180 degree leap or split, for example, was less important.

It would be odd if today's gymnasts dressed just like Olga Korbut, and there is no need for them to do so unless they want to. Since her clothing is still within regulation, they could if they wanted to.

So far at these Olympics, we have had discussion of the Brazilian, American, Japanese and British teams having significant input into their leotard design. That's not to say the others hadn't.

We can see also, in the image below, how German representatives chose their own style. Younger athletes there favour the traditional leotard, given the choice.

I really have not seen anything wrong with the cut of any gymnast's leotard at the Olympics. I am amazed that people are objecting to seeing legs and some lower / outer buttock on display. You'd get more revealing beachwear at M&S any day of the week.

compared to 20 years ago I think the female athletes definitely choose kit based on their sport and beach volleyball also has choice.
swimmers wear has completely changed to having long leg coverage whereas female runners now wear one pieces as lot more
it is great to see young athletic women demonstrating to the next generation of girls the joy of having a fit and strong body and that there is a sport for everyone

Yes. Autonomy (not modesty) is what keeps women safe, if anything can.

Well I know nothing about Team GB or this Holly person, but that was in Rio, which was a few years ago now. One or two people not being happy with the kit doesn't mean everyone else doesn't like it - and they, after all, are the ones wearing it and the ones who matter - not the viewing public.

So have the athletes themselves complain led about them or are people speaking for them?

Isn't that what I said? It's not up to spectators to comment on what athletes wear, and whether or not they like it, or "approve", has nothing to do with it.

"Norwegian Handball Federation President Kåre Geir Lio stated that it has been petitioning for a uniform change since 2006, but were met with threats of fines and disqualifications by the European Handball Federation (EHF). "

From July 2021 article, https://www.beyondsport.org/articles/norway-s-beach-handball-team-challenges-sexist-uniforms/

The clothing rules were changed in response in 2021.

We should listen to athletes but this should be about choice, not criticising the exercise of choice.

People who have been following sports have been seeing these changes. People who are just turning on their televisions now and criticising athletes for showing flesh where they don't want to see it are not listening to athletes about their choices.

That’s all white and marbled. And not sweaty or pimply or smelly.

Tbh it’s not normal to enjoy the more intimate parts of people that you are not …well, intimate with. And all this talk of improving performance being the reason … Can anyone explain why the volleyball teams have improved performance when it’s all being nom, nom, nommed by their butt crack at the back ? That cannot be performance enhancing.

Gosh: the last couple of paragraphs of that kind of sum it up. How people are arguing it is somehow objectifying women to allow them some dignity I really don’t know, but some people will argue anything anyway up.

I also think it's going to affect wether young girls join or continue a sport when they know they have those outfits. Maybe they have a choice but who is really comfortable going against the crowd? Would insisting on more modest clothes affect sponsorship?

I loved gymnastics as a kid, i was good at first. I dropped it as soon as I was told it's time to get a leotard. I didn't even ask if there were other options I didn't want to draw attention.

I expect many young girls will not go into sports for similar reasons

Proper shorts for all competitors is reasonable and a level playing field, so to speak.

And you don't think women sneering about 'arse cheeks' and 'sweaty, smelly, pimply' bodies will turn girls off? There are multiple posts on this thread and many other threads here about just how offensive some women find other women's bldies and how uncomfortable women's bodies make some other women feel.

Insisting that grown women cover up their bodies and wear 'more modest' and quite possibly more uncomfortable clothing isn't the way to attract girls to sport. Telling people to mind their own business and keep their opinions on what other women choose to wear and on how other women's bodies look when they are doing sport or just going about their day so girls don't feel like they are being judged for their choices whether that is a tiny pair of shorts and a sports bra or board shorts and a t-shirt would help more imo.

The pimply was me and I actually had men’s bottoms in mind - it was in response to the David photo. So the hating woman’s bodies is just emotive tosh. I’m all for respecting women’s bodies.

And to be honest sports bras I don’t think are the problem or even bottom covering knickers. Its the knickers that are now cutting up towards the crack. There has to be limits. I’m sure even you wouldn’t think crotchless is appropriate - or do you? The question is where is the line - and some people think the backs of some of those knickers are pretty much getting to it.

This is the patriarchy denying girls sporting activity. There's no two ways about it. And for all the sports 'fans' sneering at me raising it, sports kit is a legitimate topic if it puts one single girl off sporting activity.

Why don't they just do it all naked, like in the good old days? Apparently a woman snuck in and won a medal at the supposedly all-male Olympics for archery or something, so Zeus made everyone do it naked from then on so you spot female imposters

Gender and Olympics seems like a long running theme

But women weren’t even allowed to watch do even the ancient Greeks thought there had to be modesty precautions ( and they walked round in sheets with no underwear!)

Don't bloody watch stuff you don't like seeing. Unless you are an athlete/gymnast/volleyball player who doesn't like your cossie, in which case, complain to your governing body, just pipe down and watch sonething else.
We are enjoying the athleticism, not caring about their bloody outfits
But while we're here, do you feel the same about mens gear in each sport?

Absolutely we feel the same. But then the whole point of op’s thread was that they tend not to have bits hanging out of theirs .

I’m heavily involved in junior athletics as both DC compete. The kids must wear club colours to compete - either a vest or crop top for the girls, both are freely available. Many kids (boys and girls) choose to wear skins or a t-shirt under their vest. The boys wear any combination of baggy shorts, cycling shorts, running tights, the girls the same with Nike Pros and runnning briefs added in as an option. There are so many combinations of outfits at a junior meet nobody really notices what they’re wearing. I certainly don’t recognise it as a barrier to young girls taking up athletics.

No, I don't think it is either edwinbear - there are plenty of clothing options at junior and lower levels and, by the time they get to the elite level, they're much more worried about performance enhancement than anything else.

My cousin participated in the Tokyo Olympics in one of the sports under discussion and, although she is a looooong way from body confident in 'real life', she said she doesn't even think about it in competition - she is just focused on giving the best performance she can and the outfit is a part of that.

Of course there are (sadly) lots of young people and adults who won't do sport because they are body conscious but that is a self image thing and isn't going to go away with a small adjustment to outfit. I wouldn't wear a swimsuit because I'd feel too fat. But I also wouldn't wear a unitard for the same reason. Or shorts for the same reason. Or running leggings for the same reason. By which point I'm out of options and don't swim. That's not swimming's fault!

For athletics, lots will train in less revealing kit, particularly the distance runners who are out pounding the streets and don't want to do so in effectively underwear. However, putting on racing briefs ("buns") is like putting on your uniform, or your best suit, it means it's "go time".

As a much younger athlete I'd race in buns because they made me feel fast. I would never have dreamed of wearing them for training, they were exclusively race kit. Most of the "fast girls" did. They're less fashionable now than they were, but I can understand why a lot of elites still choose them, particularly in events where the range of movement is beneficial like long/triple/high jump and the sprints.

They probably should be concerned in some sports. The nearest I've seen to indecent exposure this Olympics was in the men's diving, when the underwater camera caught one diver having to hoick his (tiny) trunks back up

I read that back in the 70s or 80s the East Germans applied to compete in the swimming naked as to reduce the drag from the swimming costume in a sport where medals are decided by 0.01 of a second. It was denied.