More and more sportswomen are questioning traditional outfits. Like at the European gymnastics championships, where some will wear a full suit.
By Thomas Heteau
© MARIJAN MURAT / DPA / dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP
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Eis it a revolution? Maybe not. Or at least not yet. But the beginning of a new era, there is no doubt about it. On almost all grounds, some athletes no longer hesitate to stand up against the dress code imposed on them, denouncing the inappropriate, even sexist, nature of their outfits.
We remember the Norwegian beach handball players who rebelled during a match at the European Championships in July 2021 by wearing shorts instead of the regulation two-piece bikini. Result: a fine of 1,500 euros imposed by the Disciplinary Committee of the European Federation. Faced with the public outcry that the case had caused, the International Federation had changed its rules a few months later and now allows “short and tight” shorts.
During the Euro football tournament last summer, the issue of wearing white shorts during menstruation was raised by English players, prompting some clubs like Manchester City to review their rules there too. A few days ago, the giant Nike, equipment supplier of the French women’s football team, unveiled new shorts adapted to the menstruation of players for the 2023 World Cup.
READ ALSOWomen’s sport on television: what if Schiappa was rightSame approach for the Wimbledon tennis tournament, which will allow players for the first time this year to wear dark-colored shorts. “Some athletes have decided to dress as they wish, they have taken the liberty of choosing clothes that put them in the best conditions to perform. It’s a way of reclaiming their body, quite simply, notes Béatrice Barbusse, sports sociologist, author of sexism in sport (Anamosa editions). No more question of complying with regulations written mainly by men. It also breaks the process of sexualization, even hypersexualization, of sportswomen. »
Sarah Voss, the pioneer
This even affects the ultra-codified milieu of artistic gymnastics. Two years ago, the German Sarah Voss, followed by her teammates from the national team, created a surprise at the European Championships by wearing a long jumpsuit leaving the eternal leotard in the locker room. Although the “academic”, the official name of this outfit, has been authorized by the regulations for several years, no gymnast had previously thought (dared?) to wear it.
Behind this change in style, Sarah Voss’ message was clear: to show that an alternative is possible far from the often very low-cut cuts of leotards, which can sometimes put the athlete in an uncomfortable situation. “It’s the ideal solution when faced with feminine characteristics,” insists Marjolaine Floury, a former gymnast who now creates leotards. Menstruation, leg waxing, leotard cutouts… all of this can be complicated to live with as a teenager. With the academic, we leave the taboo. Today, the designer even offers this kind of outfit to her clients, such as the Brest club or the Slovak Barbora Mokosova, who will test a model in training with a view to wearing it at the Paris Games next year.
A psychological and intellectual journey
Gymnastics, football, tennis, beach hand… the movement is therefore global, but ultimately quite late. Not really surprising, according to Béatrice Barbusse, who underlines the many reasons for this: “High-level sport is hyper-regulated, she recalls, it is to the nearest millimeter, to the nearest hundredth. If this is essential for ethical and fair performance, it also generates a certain psychorigidity marked by totally outdated beliefs which makes it all difficult to move. You touch habits, rules, which are sacred in sport. Add to that the fact that they are women, who, historically speaking, do not have the right to speak in public… All of this therefore required a real psychological and intellectual journey on the part of these sportswomen. »
And yet, like beach volleyball players who still wear bikinis even though the obligation to play in this outfit was lifted more than ten years ago, the overwhelming majority of gymnasts still compete in bikinis of a leotard. But now, they know that an alternative is offered to them, and that is perhaps all the difference. “After seeing the Germans, we immediately spoke with our equipment supplier to offer academics to the gymnasts of the French team, explains Véronique Legras-Snoeck, high level director, but they preferred to keep the “justo” for aesthetic reasons. One day maybe that will change. It is not closed on our side, quite the contrary. But the choice is theirs. “The movement is in any case engaged and nothing can stop it, bets Béatrice Barbusse:” This is the meaning of history, even if history is not linear. »