Sarah Voss has made a history as a first woman gymnast wearing a full body suit to the competition for non-religious reason. She has masterfully used a costume as a powerful tool to translate an important message to large platform and empower many women not only in sports but in many other fields.
Sarah Voss about her decision:
Voss has commented on her costume decision, said she was proud of it, and that she has been fully supported by Germany Gymnastic Federation.
- Extract from her interview with broadcaster ZDF: “We women all want to feel good in our skin. In the sport of gymnastics it gets harder and harder as you grow out of your child’s body. As a little girl I didn’t see the tight gym outfits as such a big deal. But when puberty began, when my period came, I began feeling increasingly uncomfortable.”
- In a message posted on Instagram Voss described the decision as a project “close to the hearts of our team”. Her performance had not gone as well as she had hoped, she said, but her message made a big impact. “Feeling good and still looking elegant? Why not?” she wrote in her post. Voss said that while she had never herself been abused, she and her colleagues were role models for younger athletes and wanted to encourage everyone to stand up for themselves
The German Gymnast Federation on Sarah Voss’s decision and its impact
- The German Gymnast Federation has commented on the occasion and said that she gymnast have consciously taken this step in order to raise the issue of sexualisation of the women sports. The issue that is raised has a big importance on preventing sexual abuse, and eliminate discomfort of the gymnasts who feel obliged to wear revealing suits. They hope that this step will empower other gymnasts to follow the example of Sarah Voss.
- They have also emphasized the importance of sport and gymnastics to become inclusive fields where female athletes feel comfortable in their skin and have freedom to choose their outfits according to their values.
Sarah Voss’s decision has inspired two more gymnasts to do the same and wear full covered suits to the competition only few days later: Kim Bui and Elizabeth Seith
According to the rules of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) competitors can wear one-piece leotard with covered legs – hip to ankle, given that it is of elegant design. Female gymnasts train in covered suits, and at some point, they started to question why they couldn’t compete in the same costumes.
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