The Tokyo Olympics head of broadcasting now says that coverage of the Games should attempt to \u201cminimize\u201d the sexualization of female athletes in light of \u2026<\/b>
\nThe Tokyo Olympics head of broadcasting now says that coverage of the Games should attempt to \u201cminimize\u201d the sexualization of female athletes in light of athlete complaints and demands to change uniform regulations so that female athletes\u2019 bodies are more fully covered. Coverage, Olympic Broadcasting Services CEO Yiannis Exarchos said Monday, should focus on \u201csport appeal, not sex appeal.\u201d \u201cYou will not see in our coverage some things that we have been seeing in the past, with details and close-up on parts of the body,\u201d Exarchos said, according to Fox News. \u201cWhat we can do is to make sure that our coverage does not highlight or feature in any particular way what people are wearing.\u201d The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not govern how athletes dress and does not set uniform regulations. According to the IOC\u2019s rules and regulations, the \u201csole and exclusive authority to prescribe and determine the clothing and uniforms to be worn, and the equipment to be used\u201d is left to members of athlete \u201cdelegations on the occasion of Olympic Games.\u201d France 24 reported, earlier this month, that the IOC \u201cis not responsible for establishing and enforcing uniform regulations. Instead, it\u2019s up to international federations for each individual sport to decide what the appropriate attire for each gender group is.\u201d Those uniform regulations have led to a number of controversies. The Norwegian Women\u2019s handball team was denied its request to compete in tight-fitting shorts rather than bikini bottoms, leading to a 1500 Euro fine for each player that refused to wear the uniform as prescribed by the European Handball Federation. Germany\u2019s female gymnasts trade the typical long-sleeved leotards worn in international competition for long-sleeved, long-pant unitards, though the uniforms are still form-fitting. The German Federation said that the skin-tight unitards were a visual protest against \u201csexualization in gymnastics.\u201d One Paralympian, Olivia Breen, noted an opposite problem after being chastized at the British Olympic qualifiers for wearing adaptive clothing that was considered \u201ctoo skimpy\u201d by a judge, even though the shorts were made specifically designed for Breen. The IOC is telling reporters not to focus \u201cunnecessarily on looks, clothing or intimate body parts,\u201d particularly when reporting on events \u201csuch as beach volleyball, gymnastics, swimming, and track \u2014 where female athletes\u2019 uniforms can be scant and skimpy,\u201d the Associated Press noted. The IOC also updated \u201c\u2019Portrayal Guidelines\u2019 to steer all Olympic sports and their rights holders toward \u2018gender-equal and fair\u2019 broadcasts of their events. Advice includes \u2018do not focus unnecessarily on looks, clothing or intimate body parts\u2019 and reframing or deleting a \u2018wardrobe malfunction\u2026 to respect the integrity of the athlete.’\u201d In order to fight what the IOC considers \u201csexism\u201d inherent in the Games, the Olympic Committee has also updated its schedule of events, featuring more men\u2019s and women\u2019s mixed-gender events, and holding the women\u2019s volleyball and handball finals after the men\u2019s. The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.<\/p>\n