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The German team wore fuchsia unitards - combined leotards and
leggings extending to the ankles - at their podium training in
Tokyo on Thursday and said they could chose to wear them again
when competition begins.
"We wanted to show that every woman, everybody, should decide
what to wear," said Elisabeth Seitz, who will be competing in
her third Games.
In recent years the sport has been rocked by widespread cases of
sexual and physical abuse, including in the United States,
prompting deep introspection and the introduction of new safety
protocols meant to protect athletes.
The German team wore the full-body suits at the European
championships in April in a move that was broadly praised by
other female gymnasts.
"That doesn't mean we don't want to wear the normal leotard any
more," the 27-year-old Seitz said. "It is a decision day by day,
based on how we feel and what we want. On competition day, we
will decide what to wear."
For women, the standard competition outfit is a leotard, with
long, half-length sleeved and sleeveless garments allowed.
Outfits covering legs are allowed by the gymnastics rulebook in
international competitions but to date they have been used
almost exclusively for religious reasons.
"The coaches were also very much into it," said 21-year-old
Sarah Voss. "They said they want us to feel the most confident
and comfortable in any case."
Kim Bui, who also competed at the Rio and London Olympics, said
the team's fashion choice was just as comfortable as a standard
leotard.
"We also train in tights so we are used to the feeling," the
32-year-old said. "It is not that different between competition
or training. It is comfortable and that is the most important
thing."
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Lincoln
Feast.)
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