Sexualization of women is everywhere. From sports to entertainment, women are expected to dress and behave in a certain manner that is straightaway sexist.
Germany’s women gymnast team made a statement when they stepped into the Qualifying at the Tokyo Olympics in full-length body suits.
For decades now,gymnasts have worn bikini-cut leotards while the men still wear comparatively body-covering clothes or loose shorts and pants.
Talking about the decision to wear unitards of ankle length, Sarah Voss, a 21-year-old German, gymnast said:
We sat together today and said, OK, we want to have a big competition. We want to feel amazing, we want to show everyone that we look amazing.
The German team had worn similar outfits during training last week. Three-time Olympian, Elizabeth Seitz told BBC that it was time to wear what feels comfortable.
We wanted to show that every woman, everybody, should decide what to wear.
Although all other women gymnasts wore body suits that left legs bare, the revolutionary outfit worn by the German contingent has got everyone talking on social media.
This is a revolutionary step in the sense that women athletes are not generally allowed to wear clothes that cover their bodies. Just recently, Norway’s women’s beach handball team was fined 1,500 euros (approximately ₹1.3 lakhs) for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms during a game.