SEXUALISATION OF SPORTS

About:

• The phrase first hit headlines when the German women’s gymnastics team wore unitards as their uniform at the sporting event, instead of the traditionally favoured leotards.
  
  
• The team decided to wear the unitards as a “move that was designed to promote freedom of choice and encourage women to wear what makes them feel comfortable.”
  
  

Leotard vs Unitard

• The unitard and leotard are both skin-tight garments usually made of lycra and spandex, their stretchability making them the perfect choice for gymnastics and dance.
  
  
• The unitard worn by the German team is essentially a skintight suit, which covers the athletes’ body right from the ankles to their wrists.
  
  
• Women gymnasts for the longest time have worn the bikini-cut leotard, a skin-tight one-piece attire that covers the torso and leaves the thighs bare.
  
  

Impact

• The decision of the German women’s team has received widespread global support.
  
  
• As a direct outcome of the German team’s stand, the Olympic Broadcasting Services has called for a clampdown on the showcase of “overtly sexualised images of female athletes”.