Women"s Beach Volleyball Semi-Finals - USA v CHN | London 2012 Olympics
Last updated13:52, August 8 2016
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It"s taken a while but women"s beach volleyball uniform regulations are finally catching up with the diverse beliefs of the sport"s international competitors.
Many beach volleyballersarechoosingto stick withthe traditional two pieces of lycra in Rio, but they no longer have to.
Egyptian teamNada Meawad and Doaa Elghobashy shunned the bikini during their match against Germany on Monday morning (NZT)in favour of long sleeves and long pants -Elghobashy covered her hair with a hijab.
The picture of the pair, the first Egyptian women"s volleyball team to compete at the Olympics,was a stark contrast to what thesport has become known for, since it was added to the Olympic bill in 1996.
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Egyptian volleyballers Doaa Elghobashy (L) and Nada Meawad opted for long sleeves, long pants and a hijab in a move away from the skimpy bikini that often defines the Olympic sport.
Women"s beach volleyball is one of those much-talked about, highly anticipated events- usually for all the wrong reasons.
READ MORE:*Live: Rio Olympics - day two*Aussie swimmer admits drug taunt was a mind game*Rush for Rio gold costs Kiwi*Three cracks in rider"s spine*Female beach volleyballers can now cover up*Bikinis dominate beach volleyball questioning*There"s more to beach volleyball than skimpy outfits
Shaun Botterill
Laura Ludwig, left, and Kira Walkenhorst of Germany, who defeated the Egyption pair of Doaa Elghobashy and Nada Meawad.
Press conferences are often filled with bikini-focussed questions rather than talk of medal hopes or team strategies.
"Will you promise you will wear bikinis even if it rains?" -A question from a male reporter to UK OlympianZara Dampney.
In 2012, then-London Mayor Boris Johnson referred to "semi-n***d women playing volleyball...glistening like wet otters".
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The Egyptian team"s uniform was a stark contrast to the uniforms worn by most beach volleyball competitors, who say a bikini is best for peak performance.
"The whole thing is magnificent and bonkers," Johnson said in a column titled20 jolly good reasons to feel cheerful about the Games, which was publishedin The Telegraph.
Johnson"s bizarre description of these world-class athletes coincided with the first Olympics where female beach volleyball players were not restricted to lycra by the International Volleyball Federation"s (FIVB) uniform code.
In March2012, FIVB caught up with the diverse culturaland religious beliefs of the sport"s international players, adding three more options to its approved uniforms.
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Competitors who do opt for the bikini must adhere to the guidelines that state the side panel of the brief must be no wider than 7cm.
If you were a female beach volleyball player pre-2012 you could wear a one-piece bathing suit or a bikini with a maximum side width of 7cm (yes, it was that specific. And that small).
The rules stated competitors could also wearfull body suits could also be used under the bikini in cold weather, something that was rarely done.
Now, there are three extra choices. Players can wear shorts of a maximum length of 3cm above the knee with sleeved or sleeveless tops or a full body suit.
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Some competitors say they are sick of being sexualised because of their uniforms, others shrug off the attention, saying no other outfit would allow them to perform at their best.
The FIVB said the change was made in order to"respect the custom and/or religious beliefs" of players.
In 2009, New Zealand netballer-turned-volleyballer Anna Scarlett said it was unfortunate the mediafocusedon the bikinis and not the sport itself.
"I find it frustrating, and I know the other players do too. I suppose unfortunately it has been sold a lot on the sexual aspect. If that gets numbers and people interested in the game then that"s a good start...
"I couldn"t think of anything else you could play beach volleyball in. Your pockets fill up with sand, it gets so hot out there and even when it"s raining if you are playing in shorts and singlet it would get heavy."
While some women"s volleyballers, like Scarlett, feelfrustrationat their sport being defined by the lycra in which they compete, US beach volleyballer Kerri Walsh Jennings has shut down the bikini critics.
Walsh Jennings, whose competing in her fifth Olympics,told the Huffington Postbikinis are best for thejob.
"The original way to play beach volleyball was in a bikini and board shorts, and I don"t know what else they want us to wear...
"When it comes to beach volleyball, we"re playing in 100-degree-plus weather.
"I think we"ve just gotta educate the public, take it with a grain of salt and make sure that we"re working hard and not playing up the s*x appeal because it"s inherent anyway."
The bikini she will wear when taking on China with teammate April Rosson Tuesday, is designed for peak performance. It"s not about being "sexy" or "flashy", she says.
-Stuff
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/82926043/Evolution-of-womens-beach-volleyball-uniforms
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