Viewers Called “Sexist” for Complaining About Beach Volleyball Players Competing in Leggings

Once in a while, the costume garners as much attention as the action on the field. Women have been playing in bikinis for decades, as is often the case with beach volleyball.

But on the first day of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, with dreary weather conditions, wearing leggings and sports bras was deemed more than acceptable for Canadian and American women’s teams.

The American team of Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss earned the victory in the game against Canada’s Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec.

After the event, hordes of viewers complained about women not wearing bikini bottoms and were labeled ‘sexists’ for it.

American and Canadian female beach volleyball competitors wore leggings instead of the traditional bikinis, sparking a debate about the athletes’ uniforms

Another viewer added online, “Put it on the list of things why I am not watching the Olympics.”

Another controversial comment read: ‘Every four years, I’m a women’s beach volleyball fan.’

Another said: “Sins of leggings in beach volleyball.”

Multiple others came to defence of the women, and said: “Good for the female athletes who worked hard to wear pants playing beach volleyball — congratulations!

A third wrote: ‘Finally, the uniforms in volleyball should match men and women… the most sexist dresses of the entire Olympics had to have been those for women’s beach volleyball.’

Plenty of viewers were labeled as “sexist” for complaining about the absence of bikini bottoms on the women

In 30C (86 F) heat the following day, the US and Canadian teams in bikini uniforms were back to competition. Bikini uniforms have also been worn by Australian players Mariafe del Solar and Taliqua Clancy — the latter of whom is pictured above

Previously, the International Olympic Committee had ordered all beach volleyball players dressed in bikini uniforms after regulations stated that there was to be a maximum of 7cm on the side- of uniform bottoms.

They dumped those rules prior to the 2012 London Olympics and so now athletes can wear considerably more conservative gear.

Women still have the option of two pieces, but can also wear one-pieces and tops with short sleeves. WWD reports full-length leggings and long-sleeve tops can also be worn, but only when it’s cold enough or for religious justification. Let For example, the Egyptian team fought with hijab.

The rules mandating that all female beach volleyball competitors wear bikini uniforms were discarded before the 2012 London Olympics

Richard Baker, spokesman of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) in 2012, added that “most of those countries have a religious and cultural need, so these more flexible uniforms were necessary.”

Uniforms must be “tight-fitting” according to the regulations from FIVB, the sport’s governing body.

When you wear a suit, it has to be in the right spots because if they start moving into places we don’t want them to move, that’s not good for anybody,” said retired Olympic beach volleyball player Jennifer Kessy. “A tailored fit is key.”

Briefs for women “should be cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg,” while one-pieces “must fit snugly and the style must be with open back and upper chest.”

And for the guys, they sport tank tops as well as board short type bottoms. (Note: shorts cannot reach higher than 3.9 inches up the thigh.) In many of the beach volleyball competitions that take place outside of Olympic ones, however, it is the men who are often seen playing without a top.

Egypt’s Doaa Tawfeek and Marwa Magdy competed in hijabs and uniforms that covered most of their arms and legs

There are penalties and fines for those who do not respect the uniform rules established by the FIVB, with possible excommunication.

Though some viewers have called for less provocative uniforms — claiming bikinis add to the sexualization of female athletes — a number of competitors opt to wear them because they believe it’s the most comfortable option.

“Like trying to do a belly flop and getting sand (more than you can imagine) in your bikini bottom; and, You cannot have it in there, and getting out is not easy, said Kessy. In a one-piece uniform, she was constantly readjusting it — taking her attention away from the match.

A player, Alix Klineman, said: ‘It is not as if you are wearing more clothes when it is really hot; no one likes sand stuck in places. “But I fully support others wanting to be more covered if that’s what makes them comfortable.”