[ti:German Female Gymnasts Wear Body-Covering Unitard in Olympics] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The clothes that the German women's gymnastics team [00:03.80]wore during the start of Olympic competition in Tokyo [00:08.00]looked similar to the others. [00:10.80]The lights shined off crystals across their front and down their arms. [00:16.32]But the team's new Olympic clothing did not stop at their hips. [00:22.04]For years, female gymnasts have worn leotards: [00:26.88]clothing that covers the body except for the legs. [00:30.92]But in the opening round of Olympic competition, [00:34.24]the German team wore unitards. [00:37.08]This kind of clothing covers the whole body, including the legs. [00:42.28]Team members have said their choice was meant to [00:45.24]push back against the sexualization of women in gymnastics. [00:50.80]Male gymnasts wear clothes that cover more of their body. [00:55.92]They wear loose shorts for their floor exercise and vault, [01:00.16]and long pants on the bar events and pommel horse. [01:05.40]The German women's team first wore unitards [01:08.36]at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in April. [01:13.60]Sarah Voss is a 21-year-old German team member. [01:17.96]She said the team was not sure whether they would wear unitards [01:22.44]in the Olympic competition until they got together before the event. [01:27.20]"We sat together today and said, OK, [01:31.04]we want to have a big competition," Voss said. [01:34.92]"We want to feel amazing, [01:36.80]we want to show everyone that we look amazing." [01:40.32]Their clothing choice has been widely praised. [01:43.96]But so far it has not started a trend. [01:47.56]All other female gymnasts at the Tokyo Games [01:50.96]have chosen to wear the usual leotards. [01:53.96]American superstar Simone Biles said last month that [01:59.20]she chooses to wear leotards because they make her appear taller. [02:03.60]But she added: "If anyone out there wants to wear [02:07.32]a unitard or leotard, it's totally up to you." [02:10.96]Matt Cowan is with GK Elite, [02:14.40]the United States' biggest leotard manufacturer. [02:18.44]He said most requests for unitards come from countries where women [02:23.40]cover up their bodies for cultural and religious reasons. [02:28.32]He said the company has so far not seen a major rise in interest in the unitards. [02:35.52]Gymnastics is sometimes considered a sport best performed by young women. [02:40.44]Biles is 24 years old. [02:43.40]She often jokes about being old. [02:45.88]She recently called herself a grandma on social media. [02:50.16]But many teams at this year's Olympics have older members. [02:55.04]The average age of the U.S. female gymnasts this year is 20.8. [03:02.44]The oldest gymnast this year is Uzbekistan's Oksana Chusovitina, who is 46. [03:09.48]She is taking part in her eighth Olympic Games. [03:13.16]The German team includes three women in their 20s and one in their 30s. [03:19.08]German gymnast Voss said the sport and its clothing [03:23.64]should be accepting of female bodies as they age and change. [03:28.60]The German team's Olympic unitards met the clothing rules [03:32.88]of the International Gymnastics Federation. [03:36.16]But not all female athletes are as free to cover their bodies. [03:41.36]Days before the Olympics began, the Norwegian women's [03:46.00]beach handball team refused to play wearing very small, [03:50.84]bikini, shorts during European competitions. [03:54.88]They chose to wear close-fitting shorts instead. [03:58.64]They received a fine for violating the sport's clothing requirements. [04:03.92]I'm Ashley Thompson. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM