When the news broke a couple of weeks back that women’s Olympic volleyball players will no longer be required to wear bikinis, a dark cloud formed over the Twitter and Facebook worlds. Whether right or wrong, there are a number of people out there who watch women’s volleyball to see women who are in tremendous shape wearing bikinis. Fortunately for those people, some of the world’s best players are fine with that.
While the new uniform regulations have been well-received because they are more sensitive of certain religious and cultural beliefs, defending gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor say their bikinis aren’t going anywhere.
“It’s something I really feel comfortable with,” Walsh told the Associated Press. “It’s something I feel empowered by, not distracted with. I’m not a sex symbol; I’m an athlete. I want to be streamlined out there.
“I think (the change) is fantastic. I don’t want anything as trivial as a uniform to keep anyone from chasing their dreams.”
Her partner agreed that the bikinis are here to stay and reassured everyone that very few changes are likely to be seen.
“We’re staying in ours,” May-Treanor said. “I don’t see too many people changing. To each his own. If you get down to it, it’s about the sport and not what we’re wearing. So it’s fine, whatever anybody feels comfortable with.”
Along with people who were looking forward to gawking at beach bods, the advertisers who were planning to buy ad space on the athletes’ bodies are probably breathing a sigh of relief. All is right in the world. We can get back looking forward to July in London.
Photo credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE
