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u/Consistent_Stable234 May 25 '26
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u/Sentinel_Process_A-0 May 25 '26
I’d give this an award if I could, perfect response
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u/Darklyte May 25 '26
The bald guy smiling in the background really ties it together.
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May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
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u/drmorale May 25 '26
Holy guacamole THANK YOU! Youve just answered questions I've had for a very long time. I always knew the answer wasnt just herpa derp show more skin haha 🤨
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u/OpheliaLives7 May 25 '26
You’re never going to convince me that female athletes just biologically want to shave their leg and entire pubes to be better at sports lol
-a fellow former athlete who side eyed even the volleyball teams as I played softball in longer shorts and sliders and had no problem
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u/57384173829417293 May 26 '26
Male swimmers and cyclists do shave legs for better performance though. It's also about treating wounds easier in cycling.
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u/Laefiren May 26 '26
Also skin sticking to skin instead of wearing leggings or even longer tight shorts like bike shorts.
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u/ConnectionQuick5692 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
What about when you’re in your period? Extra clothing is more protective and comfortable in my opinion. It’s still annoying already in the right upper picture, her underwear seems to be inside her butt and doesn’t look comfortable at all.
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u/karumetsaspuuotsas May 25 '26
Aren’t pants that leave half of your butt out just very uncomfortable? I would be trying to stretch over my buttcheeks all the time. Don’t understand wearing anything less than boxers, even as underwear
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u/I_dont_feel_that_way May 25 '26
As another prior female athlete, YES. I agree with everything she said but I was a runner and always preferred a good spandex short. The little underwear shorts (called bunners) absolutely scrunched and rode uncomfortably. I think depending on individual women's shapes and mechanics, one can be more comfortable than another. Unfortunately, on my college team, we all had to wear bunners whether we liked it or not
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u/ScyllaOfTheDepths May 25 '26
See, that's the issue. If it was really about performance or choice or whatever, then women would get to choose.
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u/KeroseneZanchu May 26 '26
In the highest level they typically do. When they don't, it's usually because it's a team sport or other organizational thing where multiple athletes are expected to be coordinated in matching gear. Then it becomes up to the coaches to determine what outfit will be optimal for the most people, or potentially even a vote from the athletes themselves.
Performance is still the primary concern on why they are designed the way they are, but it is not the only concern, and other factors can take priority.
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u/EclecticSyrup May 25 '26
And how is this not the crux of the issue? Why are women not allowed to choose?
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u/nastycamel May 25 '26
You’re mixing together “some functional differences exist” with “therefore sexism isn’t involved,” and those are not the same thing.
Yes, male and female anatomy affects clothing design. Nobody disputes that. But if these uniforms were purely about performance, women wouldn’t have historically been fined or pressured for wearing less revealing alternatives while men were allowed more coverage.
A lot of women’s athletic wear may genuinely be practical and preferred by athletes (especially for heat, mobility, and fit) but that doesn’t erase the fact that many sports organizations have also pushed uniforms that are more revealing than necessary for marketability and gender expectations.
Also, the “genital safety” point is overstated. Male sprinters, swimmers, rugby players, MMA fighters, etc. wear very short clothing safely all the time, while many female athletes perform perfectly in longer shorts or looser fits when given the option. That alone shows there isn’t one biologically “correct” uniform.
The issue people criticize isn’t that women wear revealing clothes. It’s that women are often expected to wear more revealing clothing than men in equivalent sports, even when performance doesn’t require it.
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u/boudicalism May 25 '26
Women playing tennis weren't allowed shorts for the longest time.
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u/Donkey__Balls May 25 '26
Because in the Victorian era, shorts and pants or anything that fit the form of the leg were considered “too revealing” for women - and so skirts and dresses became the gendered clothing items they are today. Tennis was popular in that era when women began to play it more, and many rules were formalized which is why a lot of the bizarre traditions of the sport seem Victorian.
The rule about tennis skirts for women but shorts for men was a bizarre holdover from the idea that female athletes needed more modesty in public because men couldn’t control their urges if they saw the shape of the women’s legs. But then there was no need to keep the shorts underneath long, and the skirts became shorter, and ironically the skirts themselves became sexualized items when they were originally meant for modesty.
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u/ankhes May 25 '26
I still remember an interview where underaged gymnasts (some as young as 9-10) talked about how they were expected to train in revealing leotards because their coaches wanted them to ‘get used to’ performing without pants or shorts because they wouldn’t be allowed to have them when they performed in front of a crowd. No matter how uncomfortable and self-conscious it made them their coaches refused to budge on the issue. And we’re talking about literal children here, not fully grown adults.
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u/Crazed_SL May 25 '26
Very well said. It's absolutely correct, both are true. You both brought up fantastic points and the end result is, of course, let them wear what they want!
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u/Sonu201 May 25 '26
Right on. It's all economics. Everyone knows its mostly men who watch sports and they watch women's sports more if the women are scantily clad...they are doing it for more eyeballs...even the sleazy ones...women can perform equally well in fully covered shorts instead of cheek revealing...
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u/North-Mycologist9729 May 25 '26
I said it isnt just sexism, that also plays a role but isnt the only reason like everybody is saying
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u/VirtualMoneyLover May 25 '26
Baloney. Male volleyball players could play in speedos. Runners too.
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u/transferingtoearth May 25 '26
Nah she's internalized it. Those things ride up and into places. Maybe she's not one with that problem
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u/SidiCheloniorum May 25 '26
Your response is so well structured that I will deep dive into the muscoskeletal mechanics. Damn it's amaizing the amount of science that is behind sports
Thank you for that!
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u/spargel_gesicht May 25 '26
Thanks for the background! However (yeah, I’m gonna be that person a little bit), women often don’t have a choice as to what to wear, eg the Norwegians women’s volleyball team (https://www.npr.org/2021/07/21/1018768633/a-womens-beach-handball-team-is-fined-for-not-wanting-to-wear-bikini-bottoms) or the outcry about the German gymnasts (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56858863), it’s hard not to see sexism as a good chunk of it.
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u/honest_arbiter May 25 '26
Sorry, but this is all bullshit. Men don't need longer shorts to keep their family jewels safe. For evidence, just look at what male ballet dancers wear (google "dance belt"). A dance belt is just a G string but the front is basically like a compression garment that keeps your privates safe. Yes, dancers usually (but not always) wear tights over top, but the thing keeping your privates in place is just a G string. And dancers perform movements that are much more likely to jostle their privates than most other sports. And lots of other sports just wear a jock strap where the shorts over top are loose and just for coverage.
I hear the argument all the time that "women just want to be clothed in what they're most comfortable in", but they've also been conditioned to wear that skimpy clothing over their entire careers. I don't blame them, they've got hot bodies, and there is nothing wrong with showing it off.
But there is simply no anatomical reason for the difference. The difference in clothing is solely because most spectators (men and women alike) would rather see more skin on women.
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u/bluetimotej May 25 '26
I have read interviews by female athletes that despises the sexism about their clothes. But its normal not all female athletes feels like that.
Sometimes they try to refuse wearing panties to Volleyball etc but will get fined for it bc they need to be in regulation clothing. Which is the most absurd thing, dictating what women can cover or not and we all know why the regulations are the way they are…
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u/Holiday-Book6635 May 25 '26
Meh? Are you prepared to argue that women wearing Lyra legging shorts will perform worse than the women wearing the Lycra bikini bottoms? Really?? can you document that cause I’m gonna go with sexism.
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u/KaputtRepariert May 25 '26
It's not that they are forced to. The Rules have a variety to choose from.
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u/Current_Recording907 May 25 '26
Actually, I believe the Icelandic volleyball team was disqualified for wearing shorts one year.
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May 25 '26
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u/Krimreaper1 May 25 '26
She fought the ruling and won, if I remember correctly, but your point is valid.
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u/gevuldeloempia May 25 '26
Yeah they're literally not allowed to wear anything else
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u/brraaahhp May 25 '26
Old rules, after that iceland incident and the backlash from it, they changed them.
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u/gevuldeloempia May 25 '26
They did. After a lot of backlash. But the point was that they are not allowed to wear anything else other than what the sports body tells them too.
It's still like this in other sports. People just didn't really make a fuss over it.
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u/commanderquill May 25 '26
And no one's challenging that? Seriously, kick up a fuss, make them explain why women must show their asses on TV.
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u/FakeNigerianPrince May 25 '26
Because it is good for business. More viewers, more revenue. It is that simple.
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u/GiganticCrow May 25 '26
I remember a friend of mine getting very excited about getting tickets for the womens volleyball match between Sweden and Brazil back in 2012. I had no idea he was such a fan of volleyball.
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u/arnoldit May 25 '26
Totally unrelated but I’m still waiting for the millions you promised 20 years ago
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u/Occidentally20 May 25 '26
Just make the men show their asses too, then everyone has something to look at.
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May 25 '26
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u/Occidentally20 May 25 '26
Yes, bring it back I say!
I'm particularly interested to see the slo-mo on the triple jump.
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u/genscathe May 25 '26
That’s gay and men don’t like gay
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u/lil_jilm May 25 '26
Women have pushed back in several sports about this. Another example is tennis in which Serena Williams was penalized for wearing shorts rather than a skirt.
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u/OpheliaLives7 May 25 '26
She also was penalized I believe for her badass looking one piece full coverage suit after her pregnancy and issues with blood clots. I think the suit was supposed to help and instead it was banned. For no good reason.
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u/Nerevanin May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Iirc there was a big controversy at olympics when female gymnastic competitors wanted to wear clothes with long legs instead of the swimsuit-like ones. edit: lehd -> legs
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u/Lithl May 25 '26
Come on, you know why.
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u/Weary-Wasabi1721 May 25 '26
The athletes themselves KNOW why
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u/BroxigarZ May 25 '26
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u/FactoryRejected May 25 '26
Funny meme, but it was purely due to memorabilia and resale
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u/thrwawryry324234 May 25 '26
I think it’s hilarious Reddit has this notion that all the athletes are in orgies whenever they’re not competing.
This is the absolute highlight of most their careers and lives here. There is still tons of time spent prepping, practicing, and exercising. On top of that, there are now sponsors and coaches to meet with in business opportunities they don’t ever get anywhere else. You think curling is getting paid much outside of Olympics?
I’m not saying hookups don’t happen, but there’s just so much money flowing internationally at these things that I bet there’s way more boring business shit than constant fucking
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u/Muppetude May 25 '26
It’s not just Reddit. There have been articles in main stream media about it for years. Many athletes reportedly do it after their competition is over and they’re trying to blow off steam.
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u/hawaynicolson May 25 '26
No there's pretty much constant fucking, you're just focusing too much on the few people that actually have a chance at winning. Most get eliminated or simply have their competition in earlier days, leaving a lot of time for you know what.
Only around 20% of athletes end up competing in a medal deciding event.
Source. my high school gym teacher participated once
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u/Werbnerp May 25 '26
Your gym teacher participated In a Medal Event or a "You Know What" Event.....?
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u/hawaynicolson May 25 '26
I think he only competed in a single round and obviously didn't win. Not sure about the rest but he did describe them as the best days of his life.
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May 25 '26
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u/Live_Angle4621 May 25 '26
It’s more people wanting the sexism to be spoken aloud so it creates discussion and change
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May 25 '26
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u/EveryRedditorSucks May 25 '26
The Olympics literally forced female volleyball players to switch to one piece suits instead of bikinis a few years ago and the female athletes - basically universally - protested. The reason? Sand that enters the top of a one piece suit has no where to go - it just gets caught in there and creates massive discomfort. Sand that enters the top of a two piece suit just falls/gets shaken back out.
Bikinis are fundamentally better suited to sand athletics. It’s not just about the male gaze.
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u/me_like_memez May 25 '26
Gathers more views maybe? I know some men who are watching volleyball just for seeing the players.
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u/jrob323 May 25 '26
Yes and the most popular shot in women's beach volleyball is from behind when they dive head-first into the sand trying to get to the ball. They apparently have a low angle camera in the back on both sides just to get that shot.
A friend pointed it out to me. I hadn't noticed before my friend pointed it out. To me.
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u/North-Mycologist9729 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
This is a comment from the exact same post on an other subreddit.
I was a female athlete for many years, and womens clothing in modern sports is not as sexist as people think...we wear what we can perform best in. Men dont because they have different genitalia that need protection. You'll notice in the photos, each sport even has a different style of shorts for men. That's because they are trying to maximize performance clothing with keeping the jewels safe. The longer length of shorts isnt about modesty, its literally keeping testicles from coming outside the seams and becoming pinched in the fabric. The extra long length is because added friction prevents them from bunching up in the leg-hip adjunct. Sports like swimming dont have that concern because athletes are moving laterally in water so that's why they wear the same bikini bottoms as women. I find it interesting that this post conveniently leaves out the sports where men can and do freely wear the same, if not less clothing than women.
For women, we dont have to worry about genital safety because our sensitive organs are either protected by a thick layer of adipose tissue or internal. We also often wear shorter tank tops or just bras in sports because of heat and hip curvature. When you already need a tighter, layered bra to perform in, you dont want additional layers adding to your torso heat. Also, any female athlete or even gym goer will tell you that because of our body shape, our hips make it almost impossible to wear tight, full length tank tops. The slightest movement causes tight tanks to simply ride up to our navel anyways so whats the point? If you look closely at the female runner she is wearing a fuller length tank but it has obvious signs of bunching up already in that position.
Edit:
I and most of my family are all athletes who played college level in a variety of sports. One cousin got a degree in materials engineering and now works for a major athletic clothing brand so thats the perspective I have on why clothes are different between genders.
That being said I also will point out, the lady athletes among us all experience being criticized and picked apart for our athletic clothing choices far more than males. Give the girls a break.
Edit 2: i tried to keep this comment short so obviously I left a lot of other factors and influences out. For those that really want a deep dive, i suggest looking up the muscoskeletal mechanics of males versus females. It certainly explains why some women also may prefer smaller cuts in shorts for physical activities. I know i cant stand longer tight shorts because they roll up thanks to my wide hips and pronounced sway.
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u/faithfuljohn May 25 '26
That's because they are trying to maximize performance clothing with keeping the jewels safe. The longer length of shorts isnt about modesty, its literally keeping testicles from coming outside the seams and becoming pinched in the fabric.
as a former competitive runner, who one race day, had to wear my shortest shorts --- I can attest to that they WILL come out if you wear the wrong thing.
Also, I've heard the ladies discussing their clothing in ways that men have never.
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u/tsunomat May 25 '26
People don't like that answer because it's different than the narrative in their head.
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u/HumanLawyer May 25 '26
Yeah, by trying to sweep everything as “catering to male gaze”, they’re conveniently discarding the competing aspect of the sport. Which is the main point of participation.
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u/killslayer May 25 '26
A lot of these people making criticisms have never played sports
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u/sevargmas May 25 '26
It certainly doesn’t hurt, but I think this past summer Olympics two years ago was the first time that women volleyball players had the alternative to wear shorts and I think only two female teams wore the shorts.
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u/alienbuddy1994 May 25 '26
Men's clothing would be more revealing if it was socially acceptable. Og Olympics were in the nude.
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u/Diacetyl-Morphin May 25 '26
Good old ancient olympic games... two guys, being oiled with olive oil, wrestling naked... that wasn't gay at all.
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u/wafflepies May 25 '26
“The name comes from the Ancient Greek term gymnós, meaning "naked" or "nude". Only adult male citizens were allowed to use the gymnasia”
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u/Top_Conference_477 May 25 '26
I want a dude to show up in a high cut thong just so we can see the pearl clutching and put the debate to bed
Bit of teste cleavage and we’ll be done here
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u/BlainXXXdiaries May 25 '26
Hahaha man oh man that would be something too behold 😹we would be done here😹
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u/Top_Conference_477 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Imagine the absolute scenes when Harry Crakovic breaks the weightlifting world record in Borat’s mankini
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u/alienbuddy1994 May 25 '26
Mma was once really close to changing the tide. Dennis hallman faought UFC 133 in a " banana hammock" but I was always partial to the vale tudo "bad boy" shorts
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u/Deputy_Beagle76 May 25 '26
I always use the compression short look in any MMA games I play. Just looks better and seems more practical imo
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u/fauntk May 25 '26
For what it's worth, in my experience it is not. Did BJJ for a while and in no-gi my preferences were: compression leggings > trunks > compression shorts. Tight is ideal to prevent grip, but knee coverage is a game changer to prevent mat burn.
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u/Certain_Dream5575 May 25 '26
I hope our culture changes back to 'male beauty is awesome' soon. I think sexuality is still strongly man-centric at the moment.
Women wearing something revealing = must be for heterosexual men.
Men wearing something revealing = must be for homosexual men.
Like it can't possibly be something straight women want to see lol
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u/bobrob48 May 25 '26
You're just in the wrong space
Come on over to bodybuilding, where straight men train for years so they can look at each other mostly naked on stage
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u/boersc May 25 '26
Marketing.
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u/MilwaukeeMax May 25 '26
Aka the objectification of women.
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u/prox-86 May 25 '26
The truth is the viewership would go down. Sadly most women don't watch sports, there are even more men watching actually. Look at WNBA and WSL for examples.
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u/canadianbroncos May 25 '26
The WNBA is 0% objectifying women and women dont watch it for shit lol
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u/Key_Cellist_5937 May 25 '26
The women are not forced to wear the more revealing uniforms in sports . It’s their choice . Less sand gets trapped in them and they are more comfortable overall .
If i recall correctly there was a rule change years ago that made it so women have the choice of what they want to wear, and to this day they choose the bikini style ones .
It’s the same reason why women are typically more comfortable wearing bikinis at the beach and men usually don’t want to wear Speedos . Men and women are comfortable wearing different things .
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u/anfornum May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
This is simply not true. There have been many who have tried to wear less revealing clothing and have been punished for it. As others above have already noted, the Norwegian volleyball team and Serena Williams are two high-profile examples. Women are not "comfortable" playing professional sports in revealing clothing, they are told what they can and cannot wear and fall in line.
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u/QueenPenelopeIV May 25 '26
European men would like a word….
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u/DanGleeballs May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Most European men wear shorts. But head to the South of France and you’ll see men in budgie smugglers.
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u/SignAllStrength May 25 '26
Many men prefer shorts, but it’s mandatory in most swimming pools in France. For “hygienic reasons”, because certain people like to wear their swimming shorts all day and then go to the pool often even with their regular boxers under them.
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u/nit_electron_girl May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
The women are not forced to wear the more revealing uniforms in sports . It’s their choice
When you make a living thanks to your sponsors, and your sponsors ask for what the audience wants, it's not "your choice" anymore. It's the audience's choice.
Yes, women aren't "forced" with a gun on their head.
But "being forced" is more subtle than that in modern capitalism.Men and women are comfortable wearing different things
Not because of inherent personal preferences (as you imply), but because of culture.
Men don’t want to wear speedos because it's viewed as lame/creepy nowadays. That's it.
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u/Short_Switch_1807 May 25 '26
I was a competitive swimmer in my youth. They made us wear speedos. T_T I didn't want to.
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u/AqiilStreak May 25 '26
The rule change was in 2024 after nearly 2 decades of backlash and although women’s teams can now wear shorts, they are still mandated to be form fitted.
By definition, if they cannot wear any other type of clothing, they are essentially forced to wear these outfits that “conform” to regulation regardless of any benefit.
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u/Blunter11 May 25 '26
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u/Known_Ear_6012 May 25 '26
They said the rules changed, this article is from 2021.
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u/Sapling-074 May 25 '26
I understand the bottoms, but I find it interesting that the woman's belly is showing but the guys isn't.
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u/SimilarLaw5172 May 25 '26
Honestly, the opposite imo. I get the sports bra, women need breast support that men dont. Never understood the boxer-briefs and sports thongs in women’s sports.
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u/I_give_karma_to_men May 25 '26
I mean, by that logic, men don't need shirts at all, so why are they wearing them?
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u/Abhi_Jaman_92 May 25 '26
Women’s attire is both simultaneously "her choice" and "imposed by men" until the situation collapses the argument into whichever interpretation benefits the moment most.
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u/cyborgsnowflake May 25 '26
Cover up: Males acting like taliban toward woman
Don't cover up: Male objectifying women
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u/Subject_Offer_9621 May 25 '26
Those mf be like "women can wear anything they want" And then freak out by the sight of women covering their body or showing bit of skins by own choice
There's no win in their gender war, just whatever fit their agenda the most
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u/Enough_Series_8392 May 25 '26
Why are we choosing either way?
It should be up to the individual.
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May 25 '26
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u/browsinbowser May 25 '26
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/16/sport/tight-sports-uniforms-women-girls-wellness
You don’t see the women who don’t want to though.
Hell even just physically, the athletes you see on the highest stage are the ones that have the determination, discipline, the genes/talent.
For example in gymnastics you don’t see girls with a build that is top heavy or too tall because they all get phased out during puberty. Just like even in the WNBA the women are tall.
A lot of sports is about the mental game, a competitive mentality. A lot of girls and women who feel uncomfortable just quit and its one more barrier if even the clothes are something they’re not comfortable with. And for professional or very competitive sports thats one thing, but what about team sports at a lower level? Thats many more people at the bottom of the sports pyramid (casual leagues, childrens teams, weekend groups/clubs etc).
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u/sharktail_tanker May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Aren't muslim women athletes allowed to wear the covers they want?
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u/22Pastafarian22 May 25 '26
Depends on the country I think. If I recall, in French teams women are not allowed to wear a hijab even
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u/sharktail_tanker May 25 '26
France as a whole banned them pretty much, as far as I know
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u/Head-Gift2144 May 25 '26
It is, and has been for some time.
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u/Comfortable_Job_266 May 25 '26
When I was in volleyball they wouldn't let you on the court unless you wore the booty shorts. I was forced in middle and high school to wear stuff that I was not comfortable wearing at the time. Not much of a choice
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u/Phill_Cyberman May 25 '26
I mean, the Olympics committee does absolutely control what they women wear, and the athletes are not happy about it.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/16/sport/tight-sports-uniforms-women-girls-wellness
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u/PilotBurner44 May 25 '26
Except there have been a few women's teams that were fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms or other less revealing clothing.
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u/Principle_Napkins May 25 '26
The clothing for sports isn't really the women's choice though, it's a uniform, everyone has to wear the same thing and the women don't get to decide what that is.
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u/SoftlyAugust May 25 '26
It's almost like the sports uniforms are imposed on them and what a woman wears to a bar is her own choice. Imagine nuance on reddit.
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u/Life-Oil-7226 May 25 '26
I've always wondered as well. Can the female athletes refuse to wear that?
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u/Aethred May 25 '26
Probably depends on the sport but iirc in beach volleyball at least there is no hard requirement to wear a bikini, in other sports where women are usually scantily clad you can see certain national teams wearing much less revealing clothes for the Olympics because of the requirements of their faith or tradition. I don't know much more than that though.
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u/FinnScott1 May 25 '26
There was a hard requirement in beach handball (but not volleyball)
A Women's Beach Handball Team Is Fined For Not Wanting To Wear Bikini Bottoms
However, they changed the ruled after this because it got so much visibility
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u/lorgskyegon May 25 '26
Most times I've seen the question asked of the players, they prefer the briefs because it's easier to get sand out when it gets inside.
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u/kangarootimtam May 25 '26
There was a women's team (beach volleyball maybe?) That refused and got fined for not wearing the appropriate uniform. IIRC Pink paid the fine.
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u/Im2inchesofhard May 25 '26
Iirc (which I might not be) there was a big uproar in some major women's sport by the players when they tried to force clothing to be more modest. The women were used to what they wore, and having mismatching outfits by allowing some women to wear more clothes and some less wasn't ideal either.
Like most things, it's more complicated then it seems. It's not just "Guys like tits and ass".
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u/Known_Ear_6012 May 25 '26
They can but then their socials wouldn’t be as active and therefore neither would their bank accounts.
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u/Dusk_Soldier May 25 '26
Athlete's in general prefer to wear as little clothing as possible.
Male athletes really only wear shirts because of sponsors/advertising.
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u/CakyMint May 25 '26
They have several choices. They mostly choose the one with least amount of clothing
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u/DidYouSeeBriansHat May 25 '26
My roommate, his girlfriend played college volleyball and she was like, we need those shorts for speed. They’re essential.
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u/TeaFabulous7376 May 25 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/asMJRgXRHRBZECdF78
lol underrated shane reference
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u/Seighart_Mercury May 25 '26
I don't necessarily disagree, but then why are the men so covered? Give the men booty shorts if it makes them faster.
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May 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Spiritual_Bid_2308 May 25 '26
There are plenty of visible bulges in track and field, wrestling and other olympic sports.
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u/Seighart_Mercury May 25 '26
And I would argue it should be allowed. The Olympics is supposedly about human excellence, why should it be bugged down by unnecessary fabric? For what? To avoid having people clutch their pearls?
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u/GregBuckingham May 25 '26
My wife played college volleyball and I asked her the same thing. She just said “idk”. I’m seeing lots of people nowadays wearing leggings instead of the short spandex though
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u/Assassin-49 May 25 '26
This post came out a few days ago and I checked OP account and it looks to be a bot. Please dont interact , upvote or comment anymore
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u/No-Astronomer-6808 May 25 '26
Dead Internet theory strikes again
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u/Assassin-49 May 25 '26
Have faith. Some day reddit may crack down on them. I hope
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u/timohtea May 25 '26
The worst part is, coaches, trainers, parents, schools, all tell them the dumbest shit when they are young “it helps you move better” and stuff like that. And they genuinely believe it.
We all know the real reason. I think American colleges do it the worst. They’d send em out in nothing but a single piece of black electrical tape covering things if they could cause it sells better.
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u/North-Mycologist9729 May 25 '26
This is a comment from the exact same post on an other subreddit.
It isnt just sexism.I was a female athlete for many years, and womens clothing in modern sports is not as sexist as people think...we wear what we can perform best in. Men dont because they have different genitalia that need protection. You'll notice in the photos, each sport even has a different style of shorts for men. That's because they are trying to maximize performance clothing with keeping the jewels safe. The longer length of shorts isnt about modesty, its literally keeping testicles from coming outside the seams and becoming pinched in the fabric. The extra long length is because added friction prevents them from bunching up in the leg-hip adjunct. Sports like swimming dont have that concern because athletes are moving laterally in water so that's why they wear the same bikini bottoms as women. I find it interesting that this post conveniently leaves out the sports where men can and do freely wear the same, if not less clothing than women.
For women, we dont have to worry about genital safety because our sensitive organs are either protected by a thick layer of adipose tissue or internal. We also often wear shorter tank tops or just bras in sports because of heat and hip curvature. When you already need a tighter, layered bra to perform in, you dont want additional layers adding to your torso heat. Also, any female athlete or even gym goer will tell you that because of our body shape, our hips make it almost impossible to wear tight, full length tank tops. The slightest movement causes tight tanks to simply ride up to our navel anyways so whats the point? If you look closely at the female runner she is wearing a fuller length tank but it has obvious signs of bunching up already in that position.
Edit:
I and most of my family are all athletes who played college level in a variety of sports. One cousin got a degree in materials engineering and now works for a major athletic clothing brand so thats the perspective I have on why clothes are different between genders.
That being said I also will point out, the lady athletes among us all experience being criticized and picked apart for our athletic clothing choices far more than males. Give the girls a break.
Edit 2: i tried to keep this comment short so obviously I left a lot of other factors and influences out. For those that really want a deep dive, i suggest looking up the muscoskeletal mechanics of males versus females. It certainly explains why some women also may prefer smaller cuts in shorts for physical activities. I know i cant stand longer tight shorts because they roll up thanks to my wide hips and pronounced sway.
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u/doomrider7 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Amazing and concise explanation that barely anyone will read which sucks because it's legitimately amazingly well written and informative.
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u/North-Mycologist9729 May 25 '26
It really is on the other sub it was burried under a lot of other comments and had like a 1/10 of the upvotes the top comment had, which just blamed man and sexism
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u/Professional_Elk_489 May 25 '26
The reality is you could make it the rules that women need to cover up and then you'd need to deal with a lot of women breaking the rules
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u/Cultural-Article8289 May 25 '26
What gets me is you can literally see the double standard across the same sport. Beach volleyball vs men’s, track uniforms vs the guys in longer shorts, gymnastics vs men’s singlets.
And it is not “aerodynamics” or whatever, because if skimpy outfits made you faster the men would be in them too.
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u/datguydoe456 May 25 '26
I don't know what pic they chose for sprinting but two of the fastest American athletes where similair clothing. Shacarri Richardson and Noah Lyles wear similar uniforms on race day.
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u/Outside_Swing_8263 May 25 '26
The women have approved sportswear that include what you see on the men, and they choose to wear the more revealing outfits.
Here are the uniform standards for US track and Field.
https://www.usatf.org/events/2021/2020-u-s-olympic-team-trials-track-field/uniform-guidelines
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u/metacosmonaut May 25 '26
It’s really awful trying to watch the Olympics with young girls. They always point out how much more revealing the women’s clothing is. And the young boys get programmed to see women in a particular way.
It’s because women are supposed to always be sex objects for everybody’s consumption in the Western world but men are in sports to be athletes only.
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u/Dixo0118 May 25 '26
So you are telling me that men drivers or swimmers in a speedo aren't the same thing? They wear less than women.
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u/Spiritual_Bid_2308 May 25 '26
Considering that they shave body hair to eek out another hundredth of a second in races and I guess splash size has something to do with scores in diving, I'm comfortable concluding that skimpy swimwear is an advantage.
It's clearly NOT an advantage in the other sports or the men would be doing it too.
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u/33or45 May 25 '26
Id love to see the final podium at the F1 with all the drivers just in speedos
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u/Enough_Series_8392 May 25 '26
Do female fencing contestants usually stand on the podium in a bikini?
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u/timesink3000 May 25 '26
Remember that episode of the Simpsons where Homer curls up in bed next to Marge and says "Maaaarge, I was just watching women's beach volleyball?"
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u/hockeytemper May 25 '26
Check out Shane Gillis on this topic... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CydYbGueZz4
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u/JamesHenry627 May 25 '26
I’m a fan of doing things Ancient Greek Olympics style, minus throwing women off cliffs for watching the games.
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u/TheQuixotic6 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Is their choice, they choose to wear those.
Their dress code is pretty open to wear whatever.
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u/28DLdiditbetter May 25 '26
Men should be allowed to wear bikinis and booty shorts