WOW! Norwegian Women’s Beach Volleyball Team Refuses to Wear Bikini Bottoms at 2020 Tokyo Olympics

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics now just three days away, athletes of all sports from different nationalities are working hard at practice to chase their dreams of landing an Olympic medal.

And among the medal hopefuls this year is the Norwegian Women’s Beach Volleyball team. Recently competing at the European Beach Handball Championship in Bulgaria, the side have now shifted their full attention towards Tokyo.

But their appearance at the European Championship was marred with controversy. The team was fined for an apparent violation of a certain regulation. Their wrongdoing? Opting to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms.

Norway to continue sporting shorts at 2020 Tokyo Olympics

As per reports, the Norwegian Volleyball contingent approached the European Handball Federation for permission to play their games in shorts instead of bikini bottoms which they felt were overly sexualized.

The federation though declined to entertain their request and said that fines would be levied for the same. The team though went ahead and played wearing shorts instead.

Norwegian Handball Federation president Kare Geir Lio also told AFP that the federation was ready pay the fine of 50 euros per player.

‘The most important thing is to have equipment that athletes are comfortable with,’ Lio said. “It should be a free choice within a standardized framework.” 

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European Handball Federation spokesperson Andrew Barringer said that the federation is yet to decide on whether or not to levy any sanctions.

“The EHF is committed to bring this topic forward in the interest of its member federations. However it must also be said that a change of the rules can only happen at IHF level,” he said.

According to sources, the team will continue to sport shorts instead of bikini bottoms at the Tokyo Games. And much to their relief, there won’t be any sanctions for the same.

The uniform rules for the Olympics games are different. Since the 2012 London Olympics, the committee has allowed athletes to wear shorts, pants, and long-sleeve tops to be more make the sport more culturally inclusive.