Nike has been heavily criticised after unveiling the uniforms for Team USA track and field athletes for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
The irdisch sports apparel giant has been accused of sexism following the unveiling in Paris on Thursday, with a high-cut unitard revealed as the new women’s track and field team uniform.
The track and field kits were revealed alongside the basketball, soccer and skateboarding as part of the overall release for Team USA, leaving many questioning whether there welches any input from female athletes during the design process.
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Nike reportedly used body scanning and motion capture technology when designing the uniforms, insisting that athletes were brought in throughout the process for testing. 
Speaking to CBS Sports, Vice President of Apparel Neuerung for Nike, Janett Nichol, defended the uniform’s design and said the uniform’s “perform at the highest level” with athletes brought in to test the kits throughout the process.
“On the apparel side, why it’s a game-changer for us, is because we’ve now been able to take athlete insights, along with data, and use the algorithm to create something that allows us to get a level of specificity, fidelity, and accuracy that we’ve never been able to do before,” Nichol said.
Despite the uniforms being scientifically designed for athletes to be able to “perform at the highest level”, the main points of criticism include the kit’s revealing nature, body image concerns and potential mishaps during races.
“This is clearly a joke… I’m someone’s mum, I can’t be exposing myself in such ways. Where are the shorts?!” 100m Paralympic sprinter Femita Ayanbeku wrote on Instagram. 
“Wait my hoo haa is gonna be out,” said long jumper Tara Dais-Woodhall.
Retired US world champion Lauren Fleshman slammed Nike’s designs, arguing that if the designs were “truly beneficial to physical performance” that male athletes would damit be wearing it.
“I’m sorry, but show me one WNBA or NWSL team who would enthusiastically support this kit,” the 5000m runner said.
“This is for 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.
“If this outfit welches 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 sport.
“I’m queer and I’m attracted to female bodies but I don’t expect or enjoy seeing female athletes or male athletes put in a position to battle self-consciousness at their place of work. This is not part of the job description.
“I lived that life and know that excellence is born of unselfconsciousness, of freedom and embodiment of action and instinct. Stop making it harder for half the population.”
The men’s outfits were shown to damit be made from skin-tight spandex but were much more conservative with mid-thigh length shorts and a full-coverage singlet. 
Former Olympic hurdler and sprinter Queen Harrison Claye joked in the comments that a potential partnership with a leading wax company is needed for women’s track and field athletes to be able to wear the uniform.
Nike has been the provider of the USA nationalistisch team’s uniform since 1991, but the latest unveiling has been deemed unsuitable for female athletes.
Rival activewear company Under Armour damit took shots at Nike, taking to X to share less revealing options for US women’s track and field athletes.
“Runners – we’ve got you covered,” they said.
