At the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in April this year, team Germany wore “long suits,” which the German Gymnastics Federation referred to at the time as a statement against sexualisation in the sport, adding that the issue had become more important to prevent sexual abuse. Gymnast Sarah Voss of Germany spoke of an increasing discomfort faced by women in the sport as they grew out of their children’s bodies, and that she hoped the move would embolden those uncomfortable in the usual outfits to follow their example. In their qualifications at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last Sunday, the team once again wore unitards that covered their legs to the ankles—worn so far in competitions only for religious reasons—in contrast to the bikini-cut leotards, traditionally worn by female gymnasts. The move, which drew positive responses from fellow athletes, is also significant in light of the fact that the Tokyo Olympics is the first since the sentencing of former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar to over 100 years in prison for sexually abusing more than 265 girls and young women, including celebrated gymnasts like Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas.

What has further fuelled the conversation recently around clothing regulations for women athletes is the fine of 1,500 euros levied on the Norwegian women’s beach handball team for refusing to play in bikini bottoms and opting for thigh-length elastic shorts during a game in the sport’s Euro 2021 tournament. US pop star Pink publicly offered to pay the fines in an act of solidarity. An NBC news report recently pointed out the inherent double standard in the uniform regulations of the International Handball Federation, which allows male players to wear tank tops and shorts, while requiring women to wear bikini bottoms “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg”.