It's about sports, not sex appeal

With opening ceremonies for the Tokyo Olympics coming Friday, there is progress to celebrate on the road to equal standing for women in elite-level sports.

In 1900, the first year women participated in the Olympics, 2.2% of competitors were females. This year 48.8% of competitors are, up from 45% in 2016.

And women’s events and their stars, in both the Olympics and other competitions, are getting more attention than ever. More coverage attracts new fans, and they’re staying interested, because the competitions are fantastic: intense, balletic, athletic and ferocious.

But there are still startling inequities, particularly when it comes to sexualization, and uniforms, between women's and men's sports. Uniform disputes continue to bring gender, racial and religious bias into play.

It's a losing game that must end.

The Norway women’s beach handball team is receiving unprecedented attention after it was fined by the European Handball Federation Monday. Their offense? Players refused to wear the required bikini bottoms and instead wore longish shorts, like the members of the male beach handball team. Each woman player was fined 150 euros (about $175).

Beach handball is not an Olympic event, though it is featured at the Youth Olympic Games, but the controversy is renewing complaints about the rules in Olympic sports, like tennis, track and field, and beach volleyball, where the uniform requirements do differ by gender, and do sexualize women.

In beach volleyball, for instance, the men wear shirts and unrevealing shorts, while the women must don either bikini briefs with midriff-baring shirts or one-piece suits cut high on the leg, with an open back and mostly exposed chest.

Such sexualization can be startlingly open. In 2011, for instance, the Badminton World Federation said in order to foster a more "attractive presentation," women were required to wear skirts or dresses specifically to revive flagging fan interest in the sport.

And competitors who are willing to wear skimpy attire can be attacked for that too. Olivia Breen, an elite paralympian long jumper and sprinter for Britain, was recently confronted by an official who said her bottoms, nearly identical to the ones the female beach handballers must wear, were too skimpy.

Then there is the swim-cap controversy. With the Olympics nearly upon us, FINA, which oversees swimming internationally, has not ruled finally on whether Black British swimmer Alice Dearing can wear a "Soul Cap" that properly covers her thick hair after initially banning it because it "does not match the natural shape of the head."

Forcing female competitors to dress immodestly repels many girls, particularly if they come from modest religions or cultures. It also repulses women, and men, who believe female competition ought to highlight athletics, not breasts and buttocks.

Shaming women who do want to compete in briefs is no better. Nor are racist and xenophobic bans on headgear.

All athletes must be allowed to compete in clothing that allows them to be physically and emotionally comfortable.