The German gymnasts did not win a medal in these games - Elisabeth Seitz also did not make it on Sunday on the uneven bars as fifth. But maybe what they showed on the big stage in Tokyo has much more lasting value. At the beginning, the squad came together in long trousers. In the all-around competition on Thursday, Kim Bui did gymnastics in long and Elisabeth Seitz - as on Sunday - in one of the usual jerseys that end at the thigh. Of course there was never a shortage of rhinestones, and the suits, whether unitard (long) or leotard (short), are chic. Perhaps one of the reasons why they caused a stir around the world was that the action did not look like an attack at all.
Without further ado, it becomes clear: Here, self-confident women protect themselves against the sexualization of their sport - and demonstrate for gender equality. The campaign has a name: “It's my choice.” You want to decide for yourself what to wear in the spotlight. Sometimes like this; sometimes like that. Anyone who is afraid that the part could slip will wear it for a long time. If you are fed up with the tendency of some sports photographers to keep your lens fully open when doing parallel bars, you can protect yourself. And anyone who wants to set an example against cases of abuse in this frequently affected sport can do so with covered limbs.
Such actions sharpen the view: Why do beach volleyball players only wear tight panties differently than men? Why the athletes? At their World Championships two years ago in Doha, runners even had to fight against their crotch being filmed with the help of cameras built into the starting blocks. Other things are thoughtlessly accepted, out of habit and because the sports industry appreciates the sexualized portrayal of female athletes. Sport has always been an offer for voyeurs as well. The fact that athletes are starting to set their own limits in this regard is historic progress.
Earlier this week, Yiannis Exarchos, head of the Olympic Broadcasting Service, affirmed that exposing images from Tokyo would be avoided: "You will not see certain things in our material that existed in the past, with details and close-ups of body parts." The company he runs is owned by the International Olympic Committee and provides the television images. But good intentions cannot always be implemented. Because beach volleyball players announce moves to each other with finger signals behind their backs, there are also close-ups of half-covered, muscular buttocks from Tokyo. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that these athletes also have the freedom to choose clothing with a higher textile content.
Unlike the Norwegian beach handball players in a non-Olympic discipline, who had to pay a fine because they competed in cycling shorts instead of bikini bottoms at the European Championships in July. According to the European association, it is a "case of inappropriate clothing". In the meantime, the officials have announced that they want to donate the 1,500 euros for the benefit of equality between women and girls in sport. And they no longer seem averse to a rule change. Which shows that defending yourself is useful. And that it is high time that women athletes can decide for themselves how much of their skin they want to sell.