Share

US teen swimmer sanctioned for buttocks-baring bathing suit

A US teen disqualified after winning a swim meet over a school-approved bathing suit that bared too much of her buttocks has been reinstated following an uproar.

Organisers stripped the high school swimmer of victory in one of four races in Alaska last Friday because of a "uniform violation".

The referee who made the decision argued it was justified as she could see "butt cheek touching butt cheek".

The ruling outraged a local coach who challenged the decision in a blog post that accused the referee of singling out the 17-year-old student because of her race and for being curvy and full-figured.

"These young swimmers aren't being punished for wearing their suits in scandalous or provocative ways, but rather, because their ample hips, full chests, and dark complexions look different than their willowy, thin, and mostly pallid teammates," Lauren Langford wrote in her post.

She said the student stripped of victory was wearing the same suit issued to every girl on the team and yet she was the only athlete sanctioned.

"The incident... comes after more than a year of tensions over the fit of suits worn by athletes at youth swim meets in the state of Alaska," Langford wrote.

Outrage over the decision prompted the Anchorage School District to overturn the disqualification on Tuesday following a review that found the ruling "was heavy-handed an unnecessary".

In a statement, the district said the swimmer was "targeted based solely on how a standard, school-issued uniform happened to fit the shape of her body".

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 318 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 457 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.92
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.47
+0.0%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.36
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.3%
Platinum
911.60
+1.6%
Palladium
1,012.97
+1.1%
Gold
2,213.47
+0.9%
Silver
24.80
+0.6%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE