Team USA’s former and current female athletes have chosen Nike’s skimpy tights after their kit for this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games was unveiled in Paris last week.
The item of clothing that attracts the most attention is a high-cut leotard for athletic stars that barely covers the bikini line.
Images made public Thursday of the women’s uniform on a mannequin, showing a very high-cut panty line, sparked criticism from several athletes for what they saw as a decision to prioritize thinness over function.
Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was among the American athletes who modeled the controversial outfits at a Nike event in Paris, where the games will be held.
American middle-distance runner Athing Mu was also there. While Mu wore briefs, Richardson wore a version of the outfit with shorts.
Team USA’s female athletes are outraged by the skimpy leotard (right) designed for Paris 2024
American athlete Athing Mu wore briefs during the unveiling of the team’s uniform in Paris last week
Sha’Carri Richardson wore a version of the outfit with shorts and Anna Cockrell wore briefs
“They’re definitely not built for performance,” said American striker Colleen Quigley.
Hurdler Queen Harrison joked that the European Wax Center should become Team USA’s sponsor because of the high height of the leotard.
Retired athlete Lauren Fleshman was fiercely critical on Instagram. She wrote, “I’m sorry, but show me a WNBA or NWSL team that would enthusiastically support this uniform.
This is for Olympic athletics. Professional athletes should be able to compete without devoting brain space to constant pubic vigilance or the mental gymnastics that expose every vulnerable part of your body.
‘Women’s kits should serve performance, both mentally and physically. If this outfit were truly beneficial for physical performance, men would wear it. This is not an elite track and field uniform.
“This is a costume born from patriarchal forces that are no longer welcome or necessary to showcase women’s sports. I’m queer and I’m attracted to female bodies, but I don’t expect or enjoy seeing female athletes or male athletes put in a position to combat self-consciousness in their workplace.
‘That’s not part of the job description. I have lived that life and know that excellence comes from unconsciousness, from freedom and the embodiment of action and instinct. Stop making it harder for half the population @nike @teamUSA @usatf.”
Even athletes from other countries, like Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who took to social media to wonder: ‘Was EVERY female athlete consulted in this team kit?!?’
Retired athlete Lauren Fleshman said the outfit was ‘born of patriarchal forces that are no longer welcome or necessary’
Katie Moon, the defending Olympic pole vault champion sponsored by Nike, offered the company’s most passionate defense on social media.
She began her post by saying that the leotard on the mannequin was “concerning and warranted the response it received.”
But she said the women had at least 20 different uniform combinations to compete in, and they could also choose the men’s styles.
‘If you attack the buns and the crop top and say something along the lines of ‘sexist’ (which if that were our only choice it would be), even if it is with the best intentions, you ultimately make our decision of women to wear it,” she said.
She also posted photos of herself trying on the kit, saying, “If this can help put women’s minds at ease a little…I tried the same style today and wasn’t worried about…things… .that stand out.
“I think it’s just the mannequin. This felt like the last kit, just a slightly higher cut. I know everyone’s body is different, so that’s just my opinion.’
Nike said it was offering athletes unitard options with both briefs and shorts for these Olympics, while offering only the shorts for the Tokyo Olympics.
Katie Moon, the reigning Olympic pole vault champion, defends Nike on social media
Director John Hoke emphasized that the company “worked directly with athletes at every stage of the design process.”
The men’s and women’s athletic uniforms include nearly 50 garments and 12 competition styles for specific events, the brand said at the launch of the outfits.
A spokesperson for USA Track & Field said, “Athletes’ options and choices were the driving force for USATF in the planning process with Nike.”
Nike has previously found itself at the center of another uniform debate.
Several Major League games Baseball players complained about the fit of the new Nike Vapor Premier during spring training.
Nike has been designing MLB uniforms since 2020 and Fanatics has been producing them since 2017, but this was the first year for the Nike Vapor Premier jerseys.