Two different athletic controversies were making headlines Tuesday, but both revolved around the same theme—the clothes women wear during competition. In one case, an athlete was told by a judge that her briefs were too revealing. In the other, a handball team was scolded because they ditched bikini bottoms for larger shorts. Details:
- Welsh Paralympian Olivia Breen tweeted Sunday that after she completed a long jump at the English Championships, a female official informed her that her briefs were too skimpy. "I was left speechless," she wrote, per USA Today. "I have been wearing the same style sprint briefs for many years and they are specifically designed for competing in." She suggested a double standard at play: "It made me question whether a male competitor would be similarly (criticized)."
- The 24-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, tells CNN she is filing a complaint and hopes to wear the briefs at the Tokyo Paralympics, where she will represent Britain. As a long jumper, she prefers to wear clothing as light as possible. "You have no right to say what I can and can't wear," she says of the female judge. Breen tells the Guardian that her sprint briefs were the official Adidas version for 2021. (See an image here.)