I’m not really a sports fan, but one thing that has caught my attention recently is the controversy over uniforms. I know that this is a much talked about topic on social media this week, but I decided to add my two cents’ worth here.
The Norwegian women’s beach handball team garnered support from scores of fans when they protested the European Handball Federation’s misogynist rules by wearing shorts instead of the required bikini bottoms during a championship game against Spain at the European Beach Handball Championships in Bulgaria last week.
The shorts that the women wore were deemed “improper” and the team was fined €1500! The second photo shows the approved uniform.
Something is very wrong with this picture! According to the International Handball Federation regulations, “The beach handball female player’s uniform consists of tops and bikini bottoms…the women’s tops (a midriff design) must be close fitting…with deep cutaway armholes on the back. Female athletes must wear bikini bottoms…with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg. The side width must be a maximum of 10 centimetres.” On the other hand, the rules state that male players are to wear shorts, 10cm above the knee, that are not “too baggy”.
Maybe I’m just getting old and cranky, but I’m so tired of living in a world where there are different standards for men than for women; where women are admired first for their sex appeal and not for what they’re capable of doing.
Thankfully, I’m not the only one who feels this way. Shortly after the news broke, American singer and songwriter, Pink, took to Twitter to voice her support for the Norwegian women and promising to pay the fine on their behalf. While the European Handball Federation hasn’t backtracked and withdrawn the fine in response to the negative press, they have acknowledged the position taken by the players and announced that the fine will be donated to the Norwegian Handball Federation. They did not, however, state that fines wouldn’t be issued in the future.
The Norwegian gals aren’t the only ones to reject the sexualization of sport. Germany’s women’s gymnastics team is wearing full-body unitards at the Tokyo Olympics instead of the high-cut leotards worn by other teams. They first donned this new look in April at the European championships in Basel, Switzerland. At that time, the German Gymnastics Federation released a statement saying, “The aim is to present themselves aesthetically without feeling uncomfortable.” Perhaps the European Handball Federation needs to listen up! Gymnastics attire with full or half sleeves and leg coverings are allowed in competition, as long as the colour matches the leotard.
The question is whether or not other elite athletes will follow suit (pun intended)? Change will only happen if the women themselves say “no more” to sexism in sport.
Following Augustine 
ABSOLUTELY 100% WITH YOU! I did high school team gymnastics 20+ years’ ago (not that I was ever going to kid anyone about having “world class talent” at it, lol!: I did practice enough to eventually get to Level 6, but it was mainly always for recreational fun and team spirit) and, dealing then with all the body anxieties accompanying being 14-17 (whom, definitely wouldn’t have fit into the “rail-thin” category) were just amplified by the leotard uniform. The crazy part (from when I can remember; even growing up as late as the 90s) is: the normal competition/tournament-meet gymnastics’ leotard (the long sleeve kind with usually all the fancy-schmancy sparkles) was nowhere near the ridiculous, skimpy bathing suit cut in “my era” (I hate how that makes me already sound old, aarrrghh!) like the way they are outfitting these girls today. The clothing sponsors, in my opinion, try to deflect from the hypersexualization of what they’re pushing by often letting gymnastics squads design the color and patterns of their own team’s leotards (making it seem like everybody’s on board with the philosophy): but a 15 y.o. shouldn’t have to resort to needing g-string underwear for modesty because the dress code of her sport is colluding to exploit her body (ESPECIALLY, in a sport now having a well-known history of sexual abuse on record) instead of celebrating her elite physical strength and dedication!
Brava to the German women for taking a stand (even though they almost look like 70s Disco jumpsuits!…I would opt for something like bike shorts and a fitted tank top: I’d be concerned that a unitard would make you slide right off the beam or lose your footing during a floor exercise). The volleyball situation is beyond sickening. I first watched the Summer Olympics in 92 and 96 and, the women wore onepiece Speedo/Tyr suits back then for BV (like they wore during Swimming or Diving). I guess(?) if factoring in weird tan lines is (suddenly) part of the scoring (being facetious!), one would think those were *too* inconvenient while playing BV???? Since we know better than for that to have been the reason: an Olympics often acting like it has needed a history lesson on biological reality, itself, HAS NOT learned (apparently?, also) what female athletes have had to endure throughout history just to have their opportunities recognized.
Thank you for your comment, Cristina! I appreciate hearing the perspective of someone with some personal experience. I was a total non-athlete growing up!
Thank you for taking the time to read (and reply) to them!