Paralympian Olivia Breen is told her sprint briefs are too short

[RaspberryRipplesofLard]

www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/19/paralympian-olivia-breen-dismayed-after-being-told-sprint-briefs-too-short

I’m in two minds about this story. Obviously my immediate reaction is that officials can F off, commenting on a female athlete’s clothing. Would they do the same to a male athlete?

My second thought, on looking at the photo, is that her bum is barely covered and from the back you can quite likely see a lot of bum cheek (for lack of a better term). So why are female athletes required to expose so much more of themselves than their male counterparts who wear knee length shorts?

Other than Tom Daley’s micro trunks, I’m struggling to think of any event where the men are as exposed as the women. It can’t be for athletic advantage or you can guarantee the men would be doing it to. So why? Is this a feminist issue?

Oh and on a separate note, Olivia Breen is an outstanding athlete and see the irony in starting a thread about her shorts rather than her talent. Olivia - if you see this, you are amazing.

@SwayingInTime - I think people are more uncomfortable with a disabled athlete in such great shape wearing this style of brief. Just a hunch.

actually I haven't heard anyone say that until now.

This is a male/female athlete discussion rather than anything to do with disability. If the athlete getting this sort of comment was an Olympian rather than a Paralympian I think the same discussion would still be happening.

@BigFatLiar

In the original Olympics (male only) they competed in the nude, perhaps we can reintroduce that option and save any problems of what to wear.

Brilliant idea - showjumping and three day event would become woman only evens pretty damned rapidly though. As might cycling.

I agree they’re too short, can’t imagine how they are more comfortable to wear than cycling shorts.

But she’s a professional athlete in her prime so she knows more about what’s comfortable than me.

It’s wrong for the official to speak to her unless she is breaking rules on clothing. They wouldn’t police a man in the same way.

The women don't have to wear the briefs, they choose to. Whatever they feel most comfortable in and gives them the best range of motion.

As mentioned already, sportsmen get plenty of comments on tight shorts and speedos.

@BigFatLiar

In the original Olympics (male only) they competed in the nude, perhaps we can reintroduce that option and save any problems of what to wear.

Well the way the womens' clothing is going that may well happen.

I keep wondering why the women seem to wear more and more skimpy clothes and the men don't. Tiny little almost bra tops and the skimpiest of knickers - no way are they shorts.

If they honestly made a difference to their speed etc then we all know damn well the men would be wearing them.

I can't see how running, jumping etc can be comfortable when your knickers are up your bum crack

I've been googling

EHF did require bikini pants no more than 10cm at sideseam for this year's tournament, despite complaints from teams.

IHF does not seem to require this (from what I've been able to find) and I can't find Olympic rules at all, but would expect then to be IHF.

They do look like standard fair but goodness look so uncomfortable riding up over your bum checks. The stress of constantly waxing and regrowth would be enough for me.

Exactly, nobody is forcing these athletes to wear what they CHOOSE. As long as it falls within the rules, why feel the need to Police it.

It's all a bit "official makes issue out of non-issue" to me...

If they honestly made a difference to their speed etc then we all know damn well the men would be wearing them

They do - look at Farah, Kipchoge, Bolt, Gatlin, Lemaitre, all the GB men's sprinters. And it's been around a while - remember how Christie's 'lunchbox' became an idiom. Look at the number in team sports who wear tighties under the uniform shorts - that's for performance, but with disinclination to show lunchbox contours.

They do tend to be longer - I think it was Pete Beardsley and his short shorts which brought a whole new unfortunate meaning to the phrase 'sliding tackle'

I think the actual issue here is that it was an official who arbitrarily made the comments to Olivia, rather than eg a sporting regulatory body.

As Olivia says, she's been wearing them for years and they're designed for competing.

Only Olivia knows what is most comfortable for her to be competing in and if they don't break sports regulatory rules, it's no-one else's business.

So why are female athletes required to expose so much more of themselves than their male counterparts who wear knee length shorts?

She is not required to wear them, they will be here choice. Athletes get to choose what length of shorts they wear. Holly Bradshaw for example will wear an all in one with cycling shorts. It comes down to fashion and comfort.

@AuntieStella

If they honestly made a difference to their speed etc then we all know damn well the men would be wearing them

They do - look at Farah, Kipchoge, Bolt, Gatlin, Lemaitre, all the GB men's sprinters. And it's been around a while - remember how Christie's 'lunchbox' became an idiom. Look at the number in team sports who wear tighties under the uniform shorts - that's for performance, but with disinclination to show lunchbox contours.

They do tend to be longer - I think it was Pete Beardsley and his short shorts which brought a whole new unfortunate meaning to the phrase 'sliding tackle'

The men may be wearing tight shorts but they are not wearing pants up their arses are they?

No way on earth are what most of the women wear shorts

That's the 'sliding tackle' issue

They definitely wear tight, and often wear the shortest that is possible without risking exposure.

The kit is there for female athletes to choose from - look how Ennis-Hill chooses slightly different items for each of her disciplines.

With the exception of the EHF rules, are there any examples of women being forced into bikinis? Even gymnastics now has a wider range to choose from.

And that's what it comes down to - participants choice.

(Possibly, as one poster pointed out on another thread, influenced by sponsors. But beach sports and swimwear do go together - it's the origin of those sports, after all and a non-beach version, where bikinis are never worn, is also available)

@BigFatLiar

In the original Olympics (male only) they competed in the nude, perhaps we can reintroduce that option and save any problems of what to wear.

I remember reading that they used to wear something, until a woman got in and won some competitions whilst pretending to be a man... after that they had to compete in the nude.

It’s wrong for the official to speak to her unless she is breaking rules on clothing. They wouldn’t police a man in the same way.

I strongly suspect that if a man wore the same style of knickers he also would attract official comments.

Whatever your job is, you can't concentrate on it properly if you're constantly having to pluck clothing out of your arse crack. If athletes are genuinely comfortable wearing such skimpy items, then fair enough, but it should be clear to viewers that it's a personal choice and nothing to do with sponsors/archaic rules.

They get the choice of style of shorts/ top from the sponsors. This picture is from one of this year's diamond leagues wearing Nike race kit (they're sponsored by Nike of course).

Why wear as little as possible?

1. Temperature. If it's hot bare skin is coolest, it makes a big difference. Hence why I now own running shorts (long because I'm not elite and have chafe risk). I also run in sports bra plus mesh backed vest top when it's really hot (although for distance runs I'd probably wear something with shoulders to avoid sunburn).

1. Clothes can be restrictive and fractions do make a difference at elite level - so having a high leg bikini type bottom might well enable a fractionally higher leg lift, assuming other factors (chafing/wanting compression) are equal.

1. Tight tops vs vests. Women will pretty well always need something tight on top. This might well be a single sports bra top. Men often prefer to exercise topless (most gym training videos) and then wear a top to compete because rules. A loose vest might well be less annoying than a tight one for that individual.

Some athletes seem to like knee high compression socks (with bikini type briefs and tops) while others seem to wear no/invisible socks.

I think comfort and performance depends on temperature (and humidity) when competing - humidity has definitely been my push to find ways to wear less when exercising- plus things like skin type and how affected by heat you are, as well as aerodynamic considerations.

I do think these briefs are actually much “briefer” than the running briefs usually seen on female athletes. I get that wearing briefs may be good for streamlining etc (although the men seem to wear cycling shorts, so maybe they are just as streamlined?), but I think this photo shows that Olivia’s briefs are a bit ridiculous. There is no need to have half your arse on display.

It doesn’t help the battle referred to upthread about the ?Swedish handball team who are only allowed the skimpiest of briefs. Female sport should be about watching their incredible displays of skill and athleticism, whereas literally having your arse hanging out, shifts the focus to that.

but I think this photo shows that Olivia’s briefs are a bit ridiculous. There is no need to have half your arse on display.

She's got big glutes. Is showing a bit of bum any worse than showing a bit of thigh?

Olivia is an athlete. Her goal is to perform to the absolute best of her abilities and she will choose sportswear that, in her experience, enables her to do that.

If she's not breaking any regulatory rules, I can't see what business it is of anyone else's tbh.

As a parent of a (male) athlete, and volunteer at the club, I've spent many, many hours watching people run past me in various lengths of shorts. While the female athletes do seem to prefer a very short short, Olivia Breen's are a bit more revealing arse wise than is usual.
However, I'll defend her right to wear whatever she feels like she is most comfortable and gives her best performance in.

And to those who have commented on the long jumper, that's is very much par for the course. Even those who wear longer leg wear end up having to pull some material out of their bums. Some are more discreet than others!

They are regulation sports pants made by Adidas and Olivia Breen says they are her preferred style which she has worn for 10 years.

Her choice.

Now. If only Rafa Nadal could sort his pants out...