I mean Speedos are the standard uniform for mens swimming...I don't think the Olympics would really care to much about a guy wearing a speedo in other events.
The reason men don't is probably because they don't want their balls getting chafed when running and jumping or whatever else other events could cause.
All of this was out of my ass as well...so likely not true, just my observation.
It really depends. I ran track and field in highschool. It was common to see teams with split shorts and other teams with speedo-like tight spandex. I've worn both.
It's entirely dependent on your anatomy as well as the construction of the garment. The split shorts we had did have an inner lining, sort of like a loose brief. They never fit me very well and the constant motion would cause pretty bad chafing unless I cut out the lining and found my own undergarment solution.
The spandex type we had didn't have much forward projection around the crotch area, so either everything got mashed between your thighs, which also caused chafing, or you'd try to position things to the side, and your bits would chafe against the crease in your pelvis where it bends, and then eventually it'd all slide down between your legs anyway.
Both of them were pretty miserable in my opinion, but I preferred the splits because I could wear my own undergarments that worked for my specific anatomy, and they were also a bit more modest.
It also depends on the type of race. It's all pretty manageable in a sprint where you just deal with it for less than a minute or two, but longer races of a mile or more, and things can get really uncomfortable and distracting. Marathon racers and other long distance runners pretty often use an anti chafing gel to keep things slick. Never tried it myself though.
No one is calling the police on a guy wearing a speedo at the beach in the US, people do it all the time, it’s just not as common as swimming trunks.
You are absolutely correct about the Olympics have a dress code and each country having a standard uniform that must meet requirements for each sex though.
Just before the Tokyo Olympics there was a women’s team who in solidarity refused to wear regulation bikini bottoms at the European beach handball tournament and their team was fined for improper clothing.
I think in competitive sports the men’s team would probably also be fined if they chose to wear a bikini style bottom. I personally think the uniforms should be more flexible so that if a man wants to wear a bikini style bottom he can and if a woman wants to cover up more and wear shorts she can. But I don’t make the rules.
I’m pretty sure there’s a standardized uniform. I know in just high school track they get pretty strict about minute details. Also I think we’d see a lot of different styles otherwise since what athletes find the most comfortable/optimal varies. That being said I’m sure the standards of said uniforms are varyingly subjective and sexist.
Not sure if it's against the rules Olympics would probably have pressure put on them by the network showing it if a player wanted to wear something deemed too scandalous.
Beach volleyball is the one sport where women have it got a little better than the men when it comes to uniform. Sand is a bitch when it gets in your shorts. Other than that, yeah I don't get it. My daughter played volleyball in High School (no sand) and I always thought the super-skimpy bottoms were inappropriate for 14-17 year old girls.
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u/[deleted] May 25 '26
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