High School Swimmer Who Was Disqualified For How Bathing Suit Fit Her 'Curvier' Figure Has Victory Reinstated

Sep 20, 2019

Brecklyn Willis, the hotshot 17-year-old high school swimmer in Anchorage, Alaska who was disqualified over a uniform violation, has had her title reinstated. 

Willis was disqualified during a swimming event after it was determined that her swimsuit was too revealing and distasteful to be a competitor. She was stripped of her victory, leading to an investigation of these events.

Willis, a champion swimmer in Dimon High School, was disqualified because of how her bathing suit fit her body which was not a personal choice but a standard uniform.

A well-known swim coach, Lauren Langford, who had previously coached Willis and her sister when they were younger, found the incident to be a case of body shaming, sexism, and racism. She told Anchorage Daily News, “It was so targeted. It was so intentional and so individual," Langford said. She believes the swimmer was targeted because of her "curvier" figure. 

Langford wrote about how girls are unfairly policed for their bodies in a blog that has since gone viral. She proceeded to state that in her opinion, Willis was a target of discrimination because she is of mixed-race with curvier features. She also mentioned that she had never seen or known of a swimmer who adjusted their swimsuit on purpose to make it more revealing or provocative.

She did not hesitate when calling out the official ruling as racially-focused and intentional, adding that Willis was one of three girls on the team who looked like her. None of the other girls were disqualified even though they were all wearing the same standard swimwear uniform.

In addition to the ASAA’s investigation, the Anchorage School District also investigated the manner and determined that Willis was treated unfairly. The district let out a statement saying, "our swimmer was targeted based solely on how a standard, school-issued uniform happened to fit the shape of her body," according to ABC 13.

Even though Willis was stripped of her victory, the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) decided to reverse the decision. After investigating the issue, it was determined that Willis would have the points from her win reinstated for her well-earned title according to TIME. 

In the ruling, there was also a reminder included for referees, stating that it should not assume that competitors are deliberating altering their outfits. Instead, they should assume that the swimwear at competitions are permitted and legal.

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