Why athletes should be able to wear what they want
➤ Athletes should be able to wear what they want – all they ought to be thinking about is their performance
Watching the German women’s gymnastics team compete in full unitards this week was incredible. In a sport that has suffered from horrendous and sickening stories of abuse, it was such a brave and pioneering decision to take that stance on a global stage. Those gymnasts have initiated an important conversation about the sexualisation of female athletes in sport, and how it relates to their kit.
From the story of Norway’s handball team threatened with being disqualified because they wanted to wear shorts rather than bikini briefs, to the black swimmers unable to wear swim caps to fit Afro hair, women are far too often penalised for their sports apparel when all anyone should be thinking about is their performance and how to help them be at their best.
When I first started competing, I wore running knickers – as is the norm in athletics – and I often felt self-conscious. As soon as you take one stride, they are up your bum. Doing the hurdles, when your legs are spreading, or in the high jump with the angle of the camera on you in inappropriate places, you cannot help but have a worried thought creep into your head. When you should be focusing on your performance, instead you are thinking, “Oh gosh, I don’t want to have my bum coming out”. It takes away from feeling confident, and is an unfair distraction for women trying to compete.
Ahead of London 2012, I had a lot of conversations about running knickers. At a time when you want to feel comfortable, dignified and supported by your kit, instead you feel at risk of being exposed to the world. That is why there is such an important conversation to be had between women athletes, governing bodies and kit manufacturers. With adidas, I remember giving them the feedback about running knickers and how they go up your bum. They did then make changes to the kit, bringing in the rubber sticky edges to help the knickers stay in place and changing the waistband to make it higher and in a fixed position. It is so important that athletes are asked how they feel in their kit, and particularly from the perspective of feeling sexualised.
Why does it matter? Because, unfortunately, a kit malfunction can go viral and for ever after, that is what you are known for. Like Gillian Cooke at the Vancouver Winter Olympics when her speed suit split as she pushed off in the bobsleigh with Nicola Minichiello. An incredible athlete at the top of her sport, and that is the image that people remember. It just is not fair.
In forcing women to wear skimpy kit, we also make them vulnerable to weight shaming. Whether being trolled for being “too thin”, as some British athletes have been, or criticised by coaches for being “too fat”, it is more of an issue for sportswomen than for men, who have a long vest and shorts so that you do not see every part of their body.
For me, the comments about my weight right before London 2012 were frustrating. Thankfully, I was at a point in my career where I did not feel insecure about how I looked, but to have those comments thrown around was so unhelpful when I was trying to win a medal. Honestly, I think it still happens a lot in sport, especially in middle-distance events and with young athletes. It can be really damaging and have a lifelong effect on your relationship with food and with your body. These are not issues that disappear when you retire, you are potentially setting up a dangerous and unhelpful cycle that can last for the rest of your life.
The colour of a kit is a big issue, too. Sometimes, the most obvious thing – like not using white for running knickers or shorts – gets lost in the design process. Often the kit is being designed by men, so there are issues that might easily be detected by speaking to women. For the 2012 Olympic kit, there was one sample with a white triangle in the bottoms, and a lot of female athletes said, “No way!”
As a young girl in the English schools championships, I had to compete wearing white kit. It was ridiculous. A whole additional layer of stress at a time when you are already so self-conscious about your body, and especially periods. White is the worst colour you could ever be asked to wear.
To expect young girls to wear running knickers at all seems a lot. But in our sport, it is normalised. People outside of athletics will look at the kit we wear and say, “Wow, you wear almost nothing”. It is so skimpy, it is uncomfortable. Young girls do not feel they can say no, because there is that pressure of expectation, no one wears long leggings or a long top. You want to fit in, look professional, it is human nature to want to conform.
There is more variety now than when I was competing – running knickers, hot pants and the leotard – but there still is not the option of long shorts, or a full Cathy Freeman or Flo Jo all-in-one. It takes someone very confident and very bold to come out and say, “I’m not wearing that”. It brings a lot of attention on you, for reasons that are not about your sport, that many athletes will not feel comfortable with. I can understand that.
As I got older, I stopped wearing running knickers for everything. It was affecting my confidence as I was thinking about it more than I should. I was more comfortable in shorts, so I wore them for the shot put, javelin and 800metres. But it’s harder for a young athlete to make those decisions. You are going against the grain, which is only easier as an established athlete.