Germany's Olympic Gymnastics Team Just Made A Powerful Statement Against Sexualisation In Sports

Jul 30, 2021 by apost team

All sports teams have a uniform, but one aspect of sports uniforms that many may not notice is the gender dynamic. Women's sports uniforms are often more revealing than men's, and this very standard has brought about a discussion on sexualization in the athletic world. , Now that Norway's handball team made international news after they were fined for opting for shorts instead of bikini bottoms, the topic of women's athletic uniforms has been a popular discussion lately. Following suit, other sports teams have also decided to take a stand against sexist clothing regulations.

This time it was Germany's Olympic gymnastics team who are currently competing at the Olympics in Tokyo this year. Instead of wearing the usual bikini-cut leotards, the German team has opted to wear full-body leotards during training and events. The suits cover their legs and ankles, unlike the usual legless uniforms. However, this is not the full-body leotard's first appearance. The uniforms were first worn in April at the European Championships. At the time, the German Gymnastics Federation deemed the uniform choice as a statement against "sexualization in gymnastics." In an interview with public broadcaster ZDF, German gymnast Sarah Voss talked about the decision behind the uniform change. German gymnast Elisabeth Seitz said that the team as a whole decided to don the new uniforms again at the Olympics, in a collective decision to make a statement. 

Read on to learn more about the interview, as well as the impact that the full-body leotards are having when it comes to sports culture and discussions about sexualization in sports. 

In an interview with ZDF according to the BBC, Sarah Voss spoke about the decision behind the full-bodied leotards. She said:

"We women all want to feel good in our skin. In the sport of gymnastics, it gets harder and harder as you grow out of your child's body. As a little girl, I didn't see the tight gym outfits as such a big deal. But when puberty began, when my period came, I began feeling increasingly uncomfortable."

According to CNN, Elisabeth Seitz said that the decision was a collective one made by all of the women on the German gymnastics' team:

"It's about what feels comfortable. We wanted to show that every woman, everybody, should decide what to wear."

Seitz emphasized that although the full-body leotard was their preferred choice, all gymnasts should be free to choose what they want to wear, depending on how their feeling that day. 

"We decided this is the most comfortable leotard for today. That doesn't mean we don't want to wear the normal leotard any more. It is a decision day by day, based on how we feel and what we want."

According to the rules of the International Gymnastics Federation, female competitors are permitted to wear full-length leotards, as long as it is of elegant design, and the leg coverings match the leotard itself.

According to CNN, Seitz said that the response around the team's choice has been quite positive:

"Most people were positive about it. But after the European championships the time was way too short for others to design a unitard. Maybe in the future. We really hope so."

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Voss confirmed that the outfits were a team decision:

"We girls had a big influence on this. The coaches were also very much into it. They said they want us to feel the most confident and comfortable in any case. It just makes you feel better and more comfortable."

According to BBC, Voss expressed a hope that other gymnasts would follow suit:

"We hope gymnasts uncomfortable in the usual outfits will feel emboldened to follow our example." 

Seitz underscored how the decision on what to wear was based on comfort and the gymnast's discretion:

"We decided this is the most comfortable leotard for today. That doesn't mean we don't want to wear the normal leotard any more. It is a decision day by day, based on how we feel and what we want. On competition day, we will decide what to wear."

The topic has been a trend in sports lately, as the Norwegian women's beach handball team were fined for their choice to wear shorts. For their bronze-medal game against Spain, the Norwegian women's beach handball team eschewed rules that demand female athletes wear bikini bottoms in favor of bike shorts. The European Handball Federation fined the team 1,500€ ($1,770) as the shorts were "not according to the athlete uniform regulations." Abid Raja, Norway's minister for culture and sport, said the penalty was "completely ridiculous."

Since the incident last week, the situation has made international news, with professional athletes weighing in on how the ruling is sexist as men are allowed to wear shorts when they play. 

What do you think about the German women's gymnastics team's leotards? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this on to others!