British parathlete Olivia Breen was criticized by a volunteer for her revealing shorts at the English long jump championships. Now the athlete is fighting against sexism in sports.
This article first appeared on RTL.de.
Do such comments really have to be? The British parathlete Olivia Breen has made public criticism of her competition outfit in an emotional post on social networks. The 24-year-old athlete, who competes in the long jump among other things, reported an incident at the English championships a few days ago. “One of the female volunteers thought it necessary to insult me and tell me that my shorts were too short and inappropriate. I was speechless,” said the long jumper, who has cerebral palsy, describing the incident.
“I’ve worn shorts like this for many years and they’re specifically designed for athletic competitions,” said Breen. “It made me wonder if a male athlete would be criticized in the same way.”
She was particularly encouraged by other athletes, said Breen: “I’m so sorry that this has already happened to many others.”
Olivia Breen wants to file a complaint
The 24-year-old doesn’t want to just accept the incident and file a complaint with UK Athletics. The Board of Athletics in the UK is responsible for overseeing the running of track and field events in the country. The incident was already noticed there. “We saw the social media posting and will investigate the incident as soon as possible,” said a spokesman. The well-being of all athletes is of the utmost importance and everyone should feel comfortable in the competitions, the spokesman continued.
Despite the nasty comment, Olivia Breen still wants to wear her shorts – and in this outfit she wants to win a medal at the Paralympics in Tokyo!
Anti-sex beds at the Olympics? This news is making waves in the United States. Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan is putting the test to the test – and posting a video of it online.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
