German gymnasts donned coveralls instead of leotards in qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. In this way, they spoke out against the sexualization of women in sports and expressed their support for those facing violence in the sports environment. This is reported by Insider. So, the standard costume for gymnasts is a leotard with long or short sleeves – clothes that cover the legs are allowed to be worn at international competitions only for religious reasons.
“When doing splits and jumps, leotards sometimes slide off and expose parts of the body. Therefore, we have developed a new form so that every girl feels safe during competitions and training, – explained gymnast Sara Voss. “It seems to me that feeling safe and not thinking about what others may or may not see is a great relief during the competition.”