slate.com/culture: At the 2021 European Gymnastics Championships in Basel, Switzerland, last week, three members of the German women’s team debuted more than sky-high tricks: First Sarah Voss in the qualifying competition, and then Elisabeth Seitz and Kim Bui in the all-around final (where they placed fifth and seventh respectively) performed their routines not in leotards, but in stunning unitards.
4 comments:
I loved this article. My mother signed me up for gymnastics when I was very young (elementary school age) and I stuck with it for quite a few years. I can remember clearly being very uncomfortable in the leotards we had to wear for practice and always making sure I packed shorts in my gym bag. It was a bit amusing that there was such a large section in the article about wedgies, but it’s so true that wedgies are a big part of gymnastics in leotards. It was not a rare occurrence to be dealing with for the entire class. They’re uncomfortable, they make you feel self-conscious about your cheeks hanging out, and sometimes they really diminish your performance. There is also a great point about sexualization in gymnastics towards women. I agree with the author that it is not women’s jobs to end the sexualization of themselves, but it’s an incredible step to covering up if showing so much skin is uncomfortable. I feel it is important to emphasize the fact that I don’t believe they should make full unitards the standard competition attire, but I do believe that gymnasts should have the opportunity to choose what would make them feel more comfortable and confident when competing and these three German women took a great step.
I’m so glad that the German gymnastics team made a statement, although there’s something quite sad about how wearing what makes them comfortable is so out of the ordinary it deserved a headline. It never made sense to me why the women were expected to wear leotards that expose all of their legs and give an awful wedgie but the men didn’t. A gymnast’s skill is hard enough they shouldn’t have to give a second thought to their outfit because they should be aiding them not hindering. The clothing should not make them feel uncomfortable, sexualized, or self conscious, but currently leotards that they are scored on do. It’s great that they are finding a solution in competition unitards. This is the second article I read today about the shift to wearing things that make the athlete or dancer more comfortable which is great because this change has been necessary for a long time.
As a former gymnast, this article especially stood out to me because I had no idea that there were other options apart from the standard leotard. I was surprised because though the leotards were always tight in the wrong places, I truly believed that it was the most beneficial for aerodynamics and being able to perform most successfully. The fact that the German team made such a statement, defying the uniform of gymnastics for decades, maybe even a century, is really great. Gymnasts should be able to perform what is comfortable to them, and what best supports them performance-wise. The discussion of sexual abuse in the article especially stood out to me. Gymnasts should not have to feel insecure or watched about their bodies when they are performing for their talent. I believe that Germany's new uniforms, that are still performance formal but give proper coverage and comfort, will be revolutionary and will soon be the new uniform for all countries.
Interesting Article. Hoping that you will continue posting an article having a useful information. Gymnastics Team Wear Australia
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