“Together we will continue to fight to change the rules of clothing, so that the players can play with the clothing they feel comfortable with.”
That was the declaration of the Norwegian Federation Handball (NHF), after the women’s beach handball team in their country received a fine of US $ 1. 764 Dollars.
Your crime? Refusing to wear a bikini bottom when competing in the European Championships.
However, just one day Earlier, a para-athlete was told that the same part of her outfit was “too short and revealing.”
Unfortunately, the attention About what female athletes (and women in general) wear is nothing new.
Here we review some of the most well-known incidents on this topic and the responses they generated.
The beach handball team fined for not wearing bikini
The players of the Norwegian beach handball team complained that the panties (panties, panties, panties, in different Latin American countries) that they were told to wear in their last competition were too restrictive os , sexualized os and uncomfortable os.
https://twitter.co m / NORhandball / status / 1417409827026919439
That is why they chose to wear shorts (as shown in the photo above) during the match they played with Spain for the bronze medal.
Before the championship started, Norway approached the International Handball Federation and asked permission for women to wear shorts.
The request was not only rejected, but they were reminded that infractions of the rules were punishable and when the team opted for shorts for the match, received a fine for the equivalent of US $ 177 per player.
The European Handball Federation (EHF) imposed the fine for the use of “inappropriate clothing” and declared that Norway had played with shorts, something that “does not comply with the regulations on the athlete’s uniform that appears in the rules the beach handball game of the International Handball Federation. ”
The reaction
The response to the fine was immediate.
Many people pointed out that if male beach handball players could wear baggy tank tops and shorts that reached the top of their thighs, why couldn’t women wear something similar?
“The most important thing is to have a clothing with which the athletes feel comfortable “, argued the director of the Norwegian Handball Federation, Kåre Geir Lio, who Not only did he support women, but the federation agreed to pay the fine.
The president of the Norwegian Volleyball Federation, Eirik Sordahl, said: “In 2021, this shouldn’t even be a problem. ”
And the country’s Minister of Culture and Sports, Abid Raja, tweeted: “It’s completely ridiculous , a change of attitude is needed in the macho and conservative world of international sports.”
Even the American singer Pink is offered to pay the fine.
https://twitter.com/Pink/status/ 1417409827026919439
For many years, female players have complained about this difference in beach sports and have said that they find the bikini demeaning and impractical.
Only for women
“Every sport needs rules. But when we have a set of rules only for women, then we have a problem, “sports journalist Renata Mendonca tells the BBC.
” This is sexism at its best expression. Unfortunately, sexism in sports happens a lot and plays a big factor in why so many brilliant athletes leave their field, ”Tova Leigh, digital content creator and former lawyer, tells the BBC.
“ Shorts are not the issue. The thing is, even in 9478, women are still told what they can and cannot wear because women’s bodies are still viewed as objects for the benefit of men , which gives everyone the right to comment, demand and comment on them. “
“Women in sports are not taken seriously, they are treated as something showy and not like the professional athletes that they are,” adds Leigh, who has often written and commented on social media about the sexist scrutiny faced by men. women’s bodies on a daily basis.
Mendonca agrees: “There is no reasonable justification for the bikini, the sport will not change in any way if women are allowed to play in shorts; in any case, they will feel more comfortable. ”
Lack of women in the management of sports organizations
Mendonca , co-founded the digital platform Dibradoras, which aims to increase the visibility of women in sport, giving them the exposure they deserve, he says, but which is often not given to them in the most important media.
“Sports competitions were conceived for men, as shown by this type of incident. In 2021, people who run sports organizations, usually white men, still see female athletes as an ornament, just to please men. ”
“ It should be the women’s decision what is the best outfit for them. But since there are few women in charge of sports organizations and most of the time there are none, the voices of female athletes are not heard “, she clarifies.
does it count the voices of the athletes and why do the bodies and clothing of the athletes continue to be watched by the sports authorities and others around them? ”
The shorts considered ‘too short and revealing ”
But the one of the Norwegian team is not the first case of a woman in sport who is faced with this problem and it will surely not be the last.
In fact, it was the day before this fine, that the para-athlete of the GB team (the British team ) and double world champion, Olivia Breen , was “speechless” when told to wear “more appropriate” shorts while competing in the English Championships.
https://twitter.com/BreenOlivia/status/ 1234179238 / photo / 1
The comment came from an official, who said that his shorts were “too short and revealing.” (You can see what she’s wearing in the tweet above.)
The sprinter and long jumper, she’s ready to compete in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, she says her intention was to prevent it from happening to others.
Breen describes her garment as “high-waisted bikini bottoms.”
“We want to be as light as possible when we compete, not have to feel heavy, feel comfortable “, he told the BBC.
“I’ve used them for nine years, and I’ve never had a problem. We should simply use what we are entitled to use. ”
“ These two examples may seem contradictory to each other, but they are simply two sides of the same coin “, Argues Leigh.
” Women’s bodies are treated and seen as ‘the problem’. Our bodies are ‘inappropriate’ or ‘not entertaining enough.’ ”
Playing with a hijab
This same problem also appeared in , when an image of the Rio Olympics was widely shared and commented on.
A photo of two player to s of v or beach ball, a to from Egypt and another a from Germany generated a lot of comments not not for his impressive athletic abilities but for the “contrast of his clothes” and some newspapers said that the photograph represented a “culture shock.”
That comment was fiercely refuted and many said that it actually showed the “ unifying power of sport.”
Egypt’s Doaa Elghobashy (pictured above) was the first Olympic beach volleyball player to wear a hijab.
She simply commented at the time: “I have worn the hijab for 10 years … it moves away from the things I love to do, and beach volleyball is one of them. ”
But the excessive discussion about an image, highlighted a bigger problem for many.
“No matter what culture you come from, the bodies of the Women and the way they dress is still considered public property, or more accurately the property of the patriarchy , ”wrote British journalist Hannah Smith at the time.
“No matter what you wear to play sports as a woman, you will always be judged by the men who watch.”
Serena Williams’ catusit
The great American tennis player Serena Williams dedicated her French Open outfit 2018 to “all the moms who had a difficult pregnancy” when she returned to work after of her maternity leave.
The 23 times Grand Slam champion said that s u “catsuit” made her feel like a “queen of Wakanda” in reference to the movie “Black Panther.”
Williams was informed that she would not be allowed to use again this outfit and the president of the French Tennis Federation, Bernard Giudicelli, told Tennis magazine: “I think sometimes we have gone too far. You have to respect the game and the place. ”
Williams said these clothes helped her deal with the problem of blood clots, which she said almost ended her life when she gave birth.
She says she spoke with Giudicelli at the time, insisting that the decision “It was not a big problem” and “if they know that some things are for health reasons, then there is no way they will not agree with that.”
So, with more female athletes than pose their position and with more and more people protesting about the issue, can we think that things are starting to change?
Gymnasts wearing full suits in Tokyo
German gymnasts s wore full suits in the women’s qualification at the Olympic Games while continuing to hold their position against the sexualization of their sport.
Some of them wore similar outfits at the European Championships earlier this year, and Sarah Voss said that she and her teammates wanted the girls to feel confident in the sport.
Full suits, like the ones Pauline Schaefer-Betz wears in the photo above, defy convention .
Most gymnasts choose a leotard and those who cover their legs in international competition do so for religious reasons.
The German team n had worn similar outfits during practice last week, and three-time Olympic champion Elizabeth Seitz said at the time that it was all about “ what feels comfortable .”
“We wanted to show that all women, everyone, should decide what to wear,” she said.
Soul cap swim cap
Although the swim caps designed by Soul Cap have not had an easy luck, the tide seems to be turning.
The decision not to allow these caps designed for African hair in international tournaments could be reconsidered after the reactions it has generated.
The company has said that Fina, the body that governs water sports, told them that the caps are not appropriate because they do not follow “the natural shape of the head.”
But the comments drew criticism from many swimmers and some said it would discourage black people from participating in the sport.
As a result, Fina now says that she is “checking the situation” regarding the products.
It is unlikely that stories about female athletes that they are criticized for what they wear will not dominate the headlines in the future.
But according to Leigh, there is one thing we can all do to help now and that is “get attention every time it happens.”
Why? Because “we have to show girls, from a young age, that sport is a women’s place”.
“Together we will continue to fight to change the rules of clothing, so that the players can participate with the clothes they feel comfortable with.”
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