Will we see new athletic attire for women’s volleyball during the London Olympics?
Annie Scudder, Editor at TrèsSugar, talks about the new rule from the International Volleyball Federation that allows for an alternative wardrobe on the sand.
Olympic volleyball players jump high above the net or throw themselves into the sand all while wearing nothing more than sporty bathing suits. Well the women do at least, while their male counterparts play in shorts and tank tops. And now, thanks to a new rule served up by the International Volleyball Federation, women beach volleyball players will be able to trade their bathing suit bottoms for shorts and sports bras for shirts at this year’s Olympics in London.
Four Types of Women Don Draper Goes For
Cultural sensitivity, rather than athletic logistics, motivated the shift. The International Volleyball Federation explained that not all countries or cultures are comfortable with the amount of long-and-lean skin on display during the beach volleyball matches. A spokesman said, “Many of these countries have religious and cultural requirements, so the uniform needed to be more flexible,” although the countries wanting the change were not specified. Beach volleyball has only been an Olympic sport since 1996, and the new rule is meant to encourage more countries to compete.
It’s pretty crazy the sport previously mandated that the women wear such a revealing uniform, since more coverage obviously doesn’t have an impact on how the men play. Could it be that the idea of women bending, stretching, and jumping in bathing suits is considered a draw for viewership? Either way, it’s expected that most players will wear the typical sports bra/bikini bottom ensemble at this year’s Olympics.
More TrèsSugar Links:
Transgender Beauty Queen Jenna Talackova Has Already Won
Meet the Euro Pop Princesses of the ’60s: Yé-Yé Girl
How Women Have Protested Through History
The Story Behind Zou Bisou Bisou
—Photo credit: Flickr / BrazilWomenBeach