Paralympian Olivia Breen angered after official said her sprint shorts were ‘too short’
“I’m always grateful to the volunteers who serve at athletic events,” Brin told his 10,200 followers. “They do an amazing job and allow us to compete.”
In an interview with CNN on Monday, Brin said the remarks were mostly made by another woman.
“You don’t have the right to say what I can and can’t do,” Brin said, adding that she went out of her way to raise public awareness.
He said Athletics England have contacted him and he plans to formally agree.
“They (England Athletics) have been very supportive, which is really good,” she said.
‘Destroyed Confidence’
According to the Welsh star, who won a gold medal at the IPC 2017 World Championships in the T38 jump and set a world record in the 100-meter dash relay to the T35-38 in 2015 – he designed the pants specifically for the race and he has been wearing such clothes for years without any complaints.
Brin, who has cerebral palsy, will represent Britain at the Tokyo Paralympics next month. She said in her post that “hopefully” in Tokyo she will wear the same shortest sprint.
“When you’re competing, you want to feel as light as possible to make you perform better,” Brin told CNN and explained that shorts are short because they make him feel “freer”.
“We have the right to wear what is given to us and wear it,” she said.
The Paralympian said comments such as an official Sunday statement could undermine the “confidence and self-confidence” of young female athletes.
“For me, it just made me angry. If I was 16 or something made me cry,” Brin said, believing officials should have better guidelines on how to use appropriate language when working with paralyzed people.
“They have to treat us with respect and not make us feel like garbage.”
The standard is double
The athlete – who also won a bronze medal at the London 2012 Paralympics – voiced the twin’s appearance standard on Twitter, saying the experience “made me wonder if a male competitor could be criticized in the same way. I hope other women. the athlete had similar issues. ”
“I recognize that there should be rules and guidelines in relation to the set of competition, but women should not feel like they are comfortable while competing in their uniforms, but feel comfortable and free,” she added.
The UK’s 2020-2022 edition of the Competition Rules (UKA) states that “in all cases, athletes must wear clean clothing, design and wear so as not to offend.”
The guideline also states that clothing should be “made of a fabric that is not transparent” and that athletes “should not wear clothing that would interfere with the judges’ view.”
A British athlete’s compatriot, putter Amelia Strickler, responded to Brin’s remarks and a statement made on Sunday officially contributed to the pressure on women athletes who have already faced it.
“Women athletes should not be subjected to such criticism when there is already too much pressure on women to be‘ perfect ’,” Strikler wrote on Twitter.
“We’re competing for the title. You don’t like the clothes? Don’t do the service. We don’t need the officials to add unnecessary stress in those moments.”
Adidas described Brin as “inspiring and out of the way”.
“It is disappointing to see that he is evaluated for nothing but sports. We fully support his comments and hope that they will be taken up by the organizers of the event,” an Adidas spokesman said in a statement sent to CNN.
CNN contacted England Athletics for further comment.
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