Female beach volleyball players yesterday vowed that they would keep wearing their bikinis – despite admitting it was ‘upsetting’ that the sport was known only for skimpy outfits.
Zara Dampney and Shauna Mullin, who form part of Britain’s first ever Olympic beach volleyball team, said bikinis were still the best kit for the sport, despite rule changes which would allow them to cover up if they wished.
‘It’s perfect for our sport,’ Miss Mullin, 27, said. ‘We play in hot countries and I can’t imagine wearing anything else on the sand. I will still be wearing my bikini.’
Practical: Volleyball players Shauna Mullin and Zara Dampney will keep their revealing bikini outfits as they are 'perfect for the sport', but may be forced into long-sleeved top (right) and shorts if the weather turns
The players said their family and friends hated the fact that they were recognised only for wearing bikinis.
‘They find it really upsetting,’ Miss Mullin said. ‘They say to me, “How can they still be talking about your bikinis? Don’t they understand how hard you work?”
‘I try and tell them it will change eventually. But yes, it does upset them.’ Miss Mullin said that whenever the team played, most of the men who attended were there only to see girls in bikinis.
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‘It doesn’t really bother me, but I hope they go home with a different attitude once they see us play,’ she said.
Players have been given the option of wearing shorts rather than bikinis during the Olympics. And with dismal weather forecast during the Games, they may well wish to change.
But Miss Dampney, 26, said: ‘If it’s warm, we will be in our bikinis.’
The sport – famed for its skimpy outfits - hit the headlines last week when it was revealed that players had been given the option of wearing shorts rather than bikinis during the London 2012 Olympics.
The new dress code, brought in by International Volleyball Federation, was an attempt to cater for 'different cultural and religious beliefs.'
Miss Mullin's teammate Zara Dampney, 26, said would consider playing in the new longer trousers if the weather was bad, but added: 'If it's warm, we will be in our bikinis.'
And the pair added that they were bemused by their sport's 'glamorous' image.
'We don't wear make-up when we play,' Miss Mullin added. 'It's a tough sport.'
Miss Dampney and Miss Mullin will be part of the first British beach volleyball team to take part in an Olympics since the 1996 Games in Atlanta when the sport joined the Olympic programme.
Patriotic: Team GB star Shauna Mullin used the training session to show off her red, white and blue fingernails
The pair have been competing together internationally since 2009 and are currently ranked 37th in the world and No 1 in Britain.
The new rules dictate that, for events staged in cold weather conditions, beach volleyball players will be allowed to wear 'long pants and/or tops on the court during play if the temperature is to drop below 15 degrees Celsius.'
Shorts of a maximum length of 1.18 inches above the knee, and sleeved or sleeveless tops, are allowed under the new rules.
But it states that 'the clothes worn by beach volleyball players must be consistent in type, style, manufacturer, colour, and sponsors.
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