When we think of women’s gymnastics, what may often come to mind are the athletes’ fierce yet elegant mastery of demanding skillsets. The strength that is emulated in a sport so artistic is undeniable. However, our minds also stray to the attire that dresses our athletes as they swing, balance, and glide through the air as gracefully as birds do and land with ease.
When I was once a gymnast (by no means anywhere close to Olympic status) writes Cape {town} Etc’s Ashleigh Nefdt, one of my favourite parts of the sport was choosing a new leotard. Throughout my gymnastics era, this was a constant. However, I went from a little girl who had a care-free attitude, not minding the bikini cut (because I didn’t know what it meant to be a girl in the world yet) to an older girl starting to grow a disdain for it. In my latter years within the gymnastics world, the stares, catcalls and comments from males that many of us experienced in our practice arena started to get to me. I didn’t continue with the sport (not because of the leotards – life just went on in different directions) but I always maintained a love for it, and of course, the outfits.
When I saw the news that the German Gymnastics women’s team was donning a different kind of unitard, my first thought was “sheesh, at last.”
The German Gymnastics athletes expressed that “every gymnast should be able to decide which type of suit she feels most comfortable in,” and the German Gymnastics Federation proudly agreed.
Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, the team had already made a debut where unitards were concerned that didn’t stop at the hip, but were full length lavish. At the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Switzerland, the remixed leotard already started making headlines. The cat-suit as Vogue has dubbed the attire made a statement for two reasons: choice to wear what you feel comfortable in, and a stand against sexualisation in gymnastics.
And it’s about time. The traditional unitard has been around since the 1930s according to Vogue, and rose to prominence in the 1970s. If we’re going off its inception, we’re talking almost 100 years of the same look. We’ve run through enough looks from the last 100 years, and the biggest statement of the 2020’s is not encompassed by one trend alone – but by choice.
In qualifying on Sunday, the team served the unitard elite look again, and personally, I think Cat Woman would’ve applauded them.
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The team of heroes consists of Sarah Voss, three-time Olympian Elisabeth Seitz and Kim Bui, alongside two-time Olympian Pauline Schäfer.
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Seitz expressed that the look was “to set an example to all gymnasts who may feel uncomfortable or even sexualised in normal suits.”
Let’s not forget the Larry Nassar case, the former USA Gymnastics national doctor who was sentenced to 176 years in prison for sexual abuse of hundreds of gymnasts. His case definitely shed light on how “the sport’s culture allowed for abuse and objectification of young women and girls,” as ESPN reminds us.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t want to wear the normal leotard anymore. It is a decision day by day, based on how we feel and what we want. On competition day, we will decide what to wear,” she added.
For those who are thinking about deductions based on attire, rest. The Code of Points for women’s artistic gymnastics allows for it. The unitards aren’t non-transparent, and they’re still of elegant design. Now at least the worry about deductions based on removing a wedgie can be subsided.
Hopefully, this statement of choice will run into other countries, as well as film and television. It would be most dope to see female superheroes also granted a bit more choice and lee-way in terms of what they decide to fight crime in without being positioned in outfits that are often designed to peak male fantasies. But then again, if they do want to look sexy as hell, let them choose to. It’s about choice and choosing what you want to be a champion in.
Picture: Instagram/ @wellertom.photo