{"id":30660,"date":"2021-07-26T15:05:17","date_gmt":"2021-07-26T05:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=197786"},"modified":"2021-07-26T06:48:01","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T06:48:01","slug":"german-gymnasts-unitard-sexualisation","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/german-gymnasts-unitard-sexualisation\/","title":{"rendered":"These German Athletes Are Fighting Sexualization In Gymnastics One Glittering Unitard At A Time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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German gymnasts take part in official practice for the Tokyo Olympics on July 22, 2021, at Ariake Gymnastics Centre. (Photo by Kyodo News via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The German Artistic Gymnastics Team turned heads at the weekend after the athletes competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games<\/a>. The group attended the team qualifiers opting for a full-length unitard over the traditional bikini-cut leotard. The gymnasts debuted the refreshing uniform back in April in a bid to fight “sexualization” in the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to show that every woman, everybody, should decide what to wear,\u201d Germany\u2019s Elisabeth Seitz told reporters<\/a>. Athlete Sarah Voss added, \u201cWe girls had a big influence on this. The coaches were also very much into it. They said they want us to feel the most confident and comfortable in any case. It just makes you feel better and more comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Germany’s Kim Bui competes in the artistic gymnastics balance beam event of the women’s qualification during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo on July 25, 2021. Credit: LIONEL BONAVENTURE\/AFP via Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Germany’s Pauline Schaefer-Betz competes in the artistic gymnastics balance beam event of the women’s qualification during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo on July 25, 2021. Credit: LIONEL BONAVENTURE\/AFP via Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Germany’s Sarah Voss competes in the uneven bars event of the artistic gymnastics women’s qualification during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo on July 25, 2021. Credit: MARTIN BUREAU\/AFP via Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In April Voss explained that while she didn’t mind the leotard as a child, once puberty hit she felt increasingly uncomfortable wearing the high-cut uniform.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe women all want to feel good in our skin,\u201d the 21-year-old told BBC <\/em><\/a>at the time. \u201cIn the sport of gymnastics it gets harder and harder as you grow out of your child\u2019s body. As a little girl I didn\u2019t see the tight gym outfits as such a big deal. But when puberty began, when my period came, I began feeling increasingly uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Sarah Voss (@sarah.vossi)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n