Nike said the U.S. women’s track and field Olympians will have multiple uniform options available for this summer’s Paris Games after some athletes bashed the kit as needlessly revealing and sexist.
Images made public Thursday of the women’s kit on a mannequin, showing a very high-cut panty line, triggered criticism from several athletes for what they saw as a decision to prioritize skimpiness over function.
“They are absolutely not made for performance,” U.S. steeplechaser Colleen Quigley said in a message to Reuters.
Nike said in an email to Reuters that it was offering athletes uniform options with both a brief and a short for this Olympics, whereas it offered only the brief for the Tokyo Games. Nike’s track and field kits for men and women include nearly 50 apparel pieces and 12 competition styles for specific events, the brand said when launching the outfits.
“Athlete options and choices were the driving force for USATF in the planning process with Nike,” a spokesperson for USA Track & Field said.
U.S. middle-distance runner Athing Mu and sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson were among the athletes modeling Nike’s Olympic kits at the launch show in Paris this week. While Mu wore briefs, Richardson wore a version of the outfit with shorts.
