Nike, the famous sporting goods giant, released the official jersey of the U.S. track and field team for the upcoming 2024 Olympics last Thursday. However, the revelation sparked a wave of criticism, especially over women's clothing designs.
One of the photos in particular caused a backlash from female athletes, as it prominently shows the pelvic area of a model wearing the bottom of the suit. Critics were quick to blame Nike, accusing the brand of promoting overly revealing clothing.
In response to the response, Nike commented through Reuters, announcing that jumpsuit options will be offered to athletes, including bottoms and shorts. In the initial presentation, the famous sprinter Shakkari Richardson showed off the shorts style.
According to British media on April 15, the move marks an improvement over the previous Olympics in Tokyo, when only female athletes were offered a bottoms option.
Despite Nike's efforts to resolve the issue, photos of the model's body continued to circulate on social media, providing fodder for further criticism. Several athletes expressed their dissatisfaction with the design on various platforms.
Hurdler Queen Harrison Clay reached out to Eurowax in a humorous way, offering them as potential sponsors of Team USA, while obstacle runner Colleen Quigley expressed her reservations in a slightly humorous tone.
Sprinter Caitlin Hutchinson spoke sarcastically about the timing of the release, likening it to an April Fool's Day joke, while Paralympian Jalene Roberts pointed out the design's impracticality for active athletes.
Former American champion Lauren Fleischman offers a more critical view, arguing that the uniform is the product of outdated patriarchal influences that are no longer popular in today's era of women's sports.
However, in the chorus of criticism, Olympic pole vaulter Katie Moon has a different opinion. As someone who wore the suit, Moon downplayed concerns about its functionality, suggesting that the problem might be with the model's display, rather than the design itself.
"I want to clarify that, first of all, what is shown on the mannequin is worrying and deserves a response. But I've also seen comments like, "Why can't they just make men's clothing for women?" I'm a big fan of people who defend women, but we have at least 20 different uniform combinations to compete with, and we can offer all the tops and bottoms. We do have a men's option if we need it. When you attack bread and crop tops, saying it's sexist" (if that's the only option we have, it is), even with the best of intentions, you're ultimately attacking our decision as women to wear it. ”
Moon further elaborated on her point, emphasizing the importance of the variety of uniform options available to female athletes and the importance of autonomy in choosing the most comfortable and confident clothing during competition.
"It would be rude to really think that on the most important days of our careers, what we choose to wear is to appease those who are most comfortable and confident about us in order to perform tasks to the best of our ability. I personally like buns because when I'm hot and sweaty (which is the case in 99% of the races I've played), I want as little fabric as possible to stick to me. The point is that we do have a choice of what to wear, and whether we feel best in a potato bag or a swimsuit during the race, we should support autonomy. ”
The controversy surrounding Nike's Olympic apparel adds to the company's recent challenges as the company's official supplier of sportswear. Earlier this year, Nike and its partner Vannatic were heavily criticized for their new MLB jerseys for the 2024 season, ranging from the size of the letters in the athletes' names to the transparency of their pants.
In response, Nike pledged to explore potential solutions to address the issues raised by athletes and fans.