Nike is defending its design of uniforms for the ladies’s monitor and discipline group representing the U.S. on the Paris 2024 Olympics, which have spurred criticism from some feminine athletes and revived debate over sexism in sports activities.
The outfits, which Nike unveiled at a particular occasion in Paris and had been first posted by digital media firm Citius Magazine, have a high-cut leg that that hardly covers their show model’s groin space. The male model, against this, gives considerably extra protection.
Commenting on Citius Magazine’s publish, steeplechase competitor and Olympian Colleen Quigley wrote, “I imply I nonetheless wanna make the group however….” Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, additionally a monitor and discipline competitor weighed in too, writing, “I am somebody’s mother, I can not be exposing myself in such methods.”
Added Paralympian and monitor and discipline athlete Jaleen Roberts, “This model is standing nonetheless and every little thing’s displaying…think about mid flight.”
Different athletes chimed in saying the outfit would require a stage of hyper-vigilance to verify they did not expose themselves, whereas they’d desire to be targeted on efficiency.
Lauren Fleshman, the writer of “Good For a Lady: A Lady Working in a Man’s World,” tore into the design in a publish on Instagram.
“Skilled athletes ought to be capable to compete with out dedicating mind area to fixed pube vigilance or the psychological gymnastics of getting each weak piece of your physique on show,” she mentioned.
“If this outfit was actually helpful to bodily efficiency, males would put on it,” she added.
The Girls’s Sports activities Basis, an advocacy group for feminine athletes, writes ready paper that “athletes must be afforded most flexibility within the alternative of uniform materials and types.” Acceptable uniform designs think about efficiency, medical and security issues, and variety in physique sorts and cultural norms.
Nike defended the look, saying it had solicited enter from Olympic athletes in designing its lineup of uniforms for each the lads’s and ladies’s groups headed to Paris this summer time. For the monitor and discipline kits, Nike Chief Innovation Officer John Hoke mentioned in a assertion that the corporate gives athletes “a spread of silhouettes tailor-made for numerous sport disciplines, physique sorts and sizes, prioritizing efficiency and most breathability.”
Stephanie Lecocq / REUTERS
Female and male monitor and discipline athletes have a dozen competitors types to selected from, Nike added, explaining that “athletes can select outfits that match their fashion and private choice with out sacrificing consolation through the video games in Paris.” The corporate additionally mentioned it should supply tailoring choices.
USA Observe and Area mentioned in an announcement to CBS MoneyWatch that it has labored with Nike to make sure that opponents had uniform choices.
“USATF can be conscious that Nike consulted with athletes all through the design course of to make sure that all athletes are snug and that the uniforms are well-suited for his or her respective occasions,” the group mentioned, including that the unitard that has drawn hearth is only one choice athletes can select from.
Nike additionally just lately made waves for an additional uniform design. Its new Main League Baseball uniforms, which the corporate mentioned is created from a “breathable, light-weight, high-performance material,” are clear sufficient that the jerseys’ tags are seen when tucked into the pants’ waistbands. And grey-colored uniforms, created from the identical material, do not match the pants after they change into soaked with sweat.
Nike informed The Athletic it’s testing totally different materials to treatment the difficulty, but it surely’s unclear if up to date outfits can be issued this season.
