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Female athletes have criticised Nike’s Team USA track and field kit for women. They called it overly revealing and sexist outfits for this summer's Olympic Games. The criticism started after pictures of the women's uniform, which includes very high-cut shorts, were released on April 11.
The outfit triggered criticism from several athletes. US steeplechaser Colleen Quigley commented that the outfits are more about looking skimpy than enhancing performance.
“They are absolutely not made for performance,” US steeplechaser Colleen Quigley said in a message to Reuters.
The US national champion in the 5000m in 2006 and 2010 Lauren Fleshman showed harsher criticism through an Instagram post.
She wrote, “I’m sorry, but show me one WNBA or NWSL team who would enthusiastically support this kit. This is for the Olympic Track and Field. 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.”
“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. ... Stop making it harder for half the population @nike @teamusa @usatf", She added.
USA Track and Field said that uniform maker Nike discussed with various athletes while designing the uniforms, which were unveiled in Paris recently. World Champion sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson and Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu are also involved during the rollout. They wore versions of the uniform that offered more coverage compared to the previous attention-grabbing kit.
Nike responded to the Associated Press and provided a statement quoting executive John Hoke as saying the company worked "directly with athletes throughout every stage of the design process."
USATF echoed this sentiment and emphasised that “athlete options and choices were the driving force for USATF in the planning process with Nike.”
Nike-sponsored pole Vaulter Katie Moon, the defending Olympic Champion, defended the company passionately on the social media platform ‘X’. While acknowledging concerns about the initial leotard design, she emphasised that female athletes could access over 20 different uniform combinations and opt for styles designed for men.
“When you attack the buns and crop top saying something along the lines of it's sexist' (which if that was our only choice, it would be), even if it's with the best of intentions, you're ultimately attacking our decision as women to wear it,” Moon said.
Nike had also previously faced the same situation over uniform design. Several Major League Baseball players complained about the outfit of the Nike Vapor Premier jerseys. Nike has been designing MLB uniforms since 2020 and Fanatics manufacturing them since 2017, but this marked the first year for the Nike Vapor Premier jerseys.
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