It happened to be the year for the summer Olympics, which was in Rio de Janeiro if you did not know. Of course there were many opinions flying around along with many expectations, but I am expressing my pure opinion and frustration throughout this article. I also want to make it aware that I grew up in a Catholic home, where we dressed modestly, which is where most of my opinions are coming from.

During high school, I was extremely athletic almost never having an “off season”. Also as a female, I know what it is like to be subjected to sexist comments and uniforms. We would have to wear tight fitting shirts and skirts, while some even had the potential to be see through under certain circumstances. Unfortunately, this same thing happens to female Olympic athletes. Olympians are the best of the best in each sport represented, yet they are still being scrutinized and exploited about what they have to wear during their competitions.

First, the Women’s Beach Volleyball event was my main concern. To me, the Olympics are about displaying elite athletes in each sport, and presenting all the nations coming together in peace and competition. I also am aware of how sexism, fame, and television works. It is obvious how females are forced to wear revealing uniforms just to play a game during these Olympic Games specifically, although it can be seen through almost any event occurring in the world. However that general of a topic will be saved for an entire different article (Or potential thesis paper/research project)!

Back onto the subject, precisely mentioning Beach Volleyball. Place a male and female athlete next to each other and it is quite unsettling to see the differences. Both athletes play on the same court, under the same conditions. However, one has body parts significantly exposed and the other does not

NBC Olympics

Just searching “Women’s Beach Volleyball” plenty of pictures came up proving my point. I will not provide many examples because I am sure every one can search this topic if they have not seen enough already.

The women look as if their chests will fall out of the uniform tops, and their butts are always practically fully exposed. It is uncomfortable to watch the ladies pick their wedgies out after every point. The men, on the other hand, are fully clothed and do not necessarily have to worry about becoming exposed and uncomfortable during a match. They have shorts to their knees and full length tank tops as uniforms. I would like to comment too that Indoor Volleyball has similar situation, but it is more exaggerated in Beach Volleyball. Nevertheless, It cannot be for mobility because the men have free flowing uniforms! I will not fail to mention that men also wear very minimal uniforms as well. In other sports such as water polo and general swimming events, the men wear speedo-like uniforms. They are doing just as much work as volleyball players, in my own opinion, therefore there is the same potential that private areas could get exposed unintentionally. So it can be said, in this specific example of Beach Volleyball, that men should be held to the same standard as the women. Of course, I do not want to see the men in speedos playing volleyball, rather I wish to see the women in something more covering, even slightly more. Any improvement in length of the uniform would be a step forward in the battle against sexism overall.

Women's Volleyball Shorts on the Official Nike Store

Even on the Official Nike Store, there are better examples of shorts that could be used in the outdoor event.

Kerri Walsh-Jennings in London

Although the previous summer Olympic games were held in a different location under different weather conditions, this is the same game and player in a different uniform. This means the stereotypical bikini style uniform does not have to be worn.

I do realize that it is call Beach Volleyball for a reason. The teams are wearing what they would wear on the beach, but this is also the Olympics. This is a sport, broadcasted on television, where the uniforms should be more concealing.

Now that I have beaten that concept to a pulp, quite a few other sports fall under this as well. I just want to mention these because my main frustration was with Volleyball, but they are important as well. Issues have been visible with Track and Field events, Gymnastics, Tennis, and others. However, in other sports, they have the women and men wear basically the same uniforms (Soccer, Basketball, Fencing, Handball, Rugby, Field Hockey, etc). Why is it that only a few specific events are still enforcing unusually revealing uniforms?

The main issue with uniforms is mobility during that specific sport. I want to end this article by simply saying that having skimpy uniforms does not increase agility in my opinion. Wearing spandex shorts similar to those pictured above would seems better than underwear-like fashion. Shorts would prevent any chaffing and unwanted sand in certain areas, along with other benefits.

Overall, I just want to see less sexism for entertainment and unfortunate revealing uniforms in a worldwide sporting event meant for something way more important.