Olympics viewers seriously divided after strict rule about women’s uniform is scrapped

Olympics viewers have been incredibly divided after a strict rule about women’s uniform was scrapped at Paris 2024 Olympics.

There's a lot of discussion online surrounding the attire of the women's beach volleyball players.

The female Olympic athletes were usually made to wear a one piece or a top and briefs, with the International Olympic Committee even mandating how short they were, with official rules stating they could not be more than 7cm on the sides, as per I News.

International Olympic Committee previously stated that volleyball shorts could not be more than 7cm on the sides. (DeFodi Images / Contributor / Getty Images)

Meanwhile, male beach volleyball players were made to a tank top and shorts, with FIVB rules stating: "For all athletes the bottom of the shorts must be a minimum of 10 cm above the top of the knee cap."

However, such rules have since been scrapped in the 2024 Paris Games as athletes are now allowed to complete in leggings

And since then, there's clearly quite the heated debate online following the decision, with one X user hitting out: "I waited 4 years for f***ing PANTS?!!?!??!??! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH."

Another slammed: "Every 4 years, I become a women’s beach volleyball enthusiast.

“I also generally support tight yoga pants in public. However, yoga pants, no matter how tight they are, have NO place in women’s beach volleyball. For us traditionalist fans, this is heresy."

A third piped up: "Leggings in beach volleyball is a god d*mn crime."

A bunch of 'creeps' online were fuming at the fact women volleyball players were wearing leggings. (Eyepix Group / Contributor / Getty Images)

"Add it to the list of reasons as to why I'm not watching the Olympics," fumed a fourth.

Others, however, congratulated the change, with one X user praising: "Congratulations to the female athletes who fought so hard to be able to wear pants while they play beach volleyball."

A second urged: "And to all the creepers who are disappointed…gross. Go away. They didn’t want you watching anyway."

"Unpopular opinion: I love the USA women's beach volleyball long pants uniforms!!! Finally! The thong bikini’s were ridiculous," supported a third, while a fourth chimed in: "It's about time the women's uniforms in volleyball matched the men's…the most sexist outfits in all of the Olympics were in women's beach volleyball."

Another quipped: "Congratulations to the female athletes who fought so hard to be able to wear pants while they play beach volleyball,.

Gold medalists winners Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec of Team Canada. (Eyepix Group / Contributor / Getty Images)

"And into all the creepers who are disappointed…gross. Go away. They didn't want you watching anyway."

On that note, Olympics camera operators have been issued a warning over the way they film female athletes as the Olympic Broadcasting Service boss admitted to 'stereotypes and sexism remain'.

Chief executive, Yiannis Exarchos, told reporters in Paris: "Unfortunately, in some events, they [women] are still being filmed in a way that you can identify that stereotypes and sexism remain, even from the way in which some camera operators are framing differently men and women athletes.

"Women athletes are not there because they are more attractive or sexy or whatever. They are there because they are elite athletes."

Exarchos added that such issues, which sees camera operators and TV editors seeming to show more close-ups of women than men, are predominantly due to 'unconscious bias'.