The reveal of Nike’s kits for Team USA’s track and field Olympians has sparked controversy across social media as professional runners, Olympic hopefuls and fans zeroed in on the featured women’s one-piece suit, which is unusually high-cut on the legs.
“This is clearly a joke,” Femita Ayanbeku, a two-time Paralympian wrote in a comment under an Instagram post of the uniforms. “I’m someone’s mom, I can’t be exposing myself in such ways. Where are the shorts?!”
The men’s design included in the first-look promo photo has shorts that hit the mannequin’s mid thigh.
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Grayson Murphy, a two-time world champion in mountain running said, “that gusset is giving me anxiety.”
Likewise, two-time U.S. champion distance runner Lauren Fleshman ripped into the uniforms in a post on her Instagram account.
“Professional athletes should be able to compete without dedicating brain space to constant pube vigilance or the mental gymnastics of having every vulnerable piece of your body on display. Women’s kits should be in service to performance, mentally and physically. If this outfit was truly beneficial to physical performance, men would wear it,” Fleshman said.
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The post continued, “This is not an elite athletic kit for track and field. This is a costume born of patriarchal forces that are no longer welcome or needed to get eyes on women’s sports.”
Athletes representing other countries also sounded off on the design. Canadian hurdler and two-time Olympian Sage Watson wrote, “Yeah, that’s a no from me dog,” and English long jumper Abigail Irozuru shared a photo of the uniforms to her Instagram story with the caption “Was ANY female athlete consulted in this team kit?!?”
The cut of the women’s suit wasn’t the only aspect of the design athletes took issue with. Britton Wilson, a sprinter who holds the indoor American record for the 400-meter dash, asked “why is the font comic sans” under the Instagram post. Irozuru also pointed out that “these women’s colors are a replica of the current British Athletics kit.”
Nike did not immediately respond to The Athletic’s request for comment.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug. 11, with track and field events beginning Aug. 1.
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(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)