Gold Medalist Katie Moon Sets Record Straight On ‘Sexist’ Olympic Track Uniforms
Nike shared a sneak peek of its track and field uniforms for the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday, and the announcement certainly raised some eyebrows.
The company shared a side-by-side of the Team USA men's and women's uniforms on mannequins. For male team members, it was a compression tank top and mid-thigh shorts — a standard look that has been around forever. The women's kit, though, had social media buzzing for all the wrong reasons.
Because it looks like a front wedgie waiting to happen.
Buckle up, ladies! Brazilian waxes are now, apparently, part of the training regimen for Paris 2024.
The uniform reveal ignited a firestorm on social media — accusing Nike of sexist designs meant to sexualize female track and field athletes instead of equipping them with comfortable and appropriate attire to compete.
I'll admit, while I wasn't ready to storm Nike headquarters with a fiery pitchfork, I was taken aback by the photo. There is no way a woman could perform in that getup without some serious chafing and frequent wardrobe malfunctions. And a quick skim through the replies shows I'm one of thousands who had that exact thought.
Even the mannequin's non-vagina is eating that front thong.
How do you run in that without exposing yourself??
TRACK AND FIELD??? while running and jumping and lunging???
Why did they bother to create clothes for the women at all? Just hand her some dental floss.
Katie Moon Clears Up Confusion On Olympic Uniforms
Turns out, though, the outrage is a little unwarranted.
Katie Moon — who won a gold medal for Team USA in pole-vaulting at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — said she agrees that the mannequin photos look bad. But the tiny bikini bottoms (referred to as "buns") are entirely optional for female athletes.
"I want to be clear and start by saying that what was shown on the mannequin was concerning, and warranted the response it received," Moon wrote on Instagram. "I absolutely love people defending women, but we have at least 20 different combinations of a uniform to compete in with all the tops and bottoms available to us. We DO have the men’s option available to us if we want it."
She also shared a photo of herself wearing the same style kit to demonstrate that the cut isn't as revealing as it appears on the mannequin.
"If this can help put women’s minds at ease a bit…I tried on the same style today and didn’t feel worried about…things…popping out," she wrote on X. "I think it’s just the mannequin."
According to Moon, the Team USA track and field women have two onesies, three tank tops, two buns, two shorts and two longer tights to choose from.
"We can mix and match those as we want," she said.
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Not that there's anything wrong with choosing the smaller bottom option, she said. And shaming women who choose to compete in briefs is, in itself, sexist.
"If you honestly think that on the most important days of our careers we’re choosing what we wear to appease the men watching over what we’re most comfortable and confident in, to execute to the best of our abilities, that’s pretty offensive," she wrote.
"I personally like the buns because I want as little fabric clinging to me when I’m hot and sweaty (which I am at 99% of meets I compete in). The point is we DO have the choice of what to wear, and whether we feel the best in a potato sack or a bathing suit during competitions, we should support the autonomy."
Buns or no buns… let's just hope Nike doesn't outsource these uniforms to Fanatics, too.