CBS News
Nike draws heat over skimpy U.S. women’s track and field uniforms for Paris Olympics
Nike is defending its design of uniforms for the women’s track and field team representing the U.S. at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which have spurred criticism from some female athletes and revived debate over sexism in sports.
The outfits, which Nike unveiled at a special event in Paris and were first posted by digital media company Citius Mag, have a high-cut leg that that barely covers their display mannequin’s groin area. The male version, by contrast, provides significantly more coverage.
Commenting on Citius Mag’s post, steeplechase competitor and Olympian Colleen Quigley wrote, “I mean I still wanna make the team but….” Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, also a track and field competitor weighed in too, writing, “I’m someone’s mom, I can’t be exposing myself in such ways.”
Added Paralympian and track and field athlete Jaleen Roberts, “This mannequin is standing still and everything’s showing…imagine mid flight.”
Nike defended the look, saying it had solicited input from Olympic athletes in designing its lineup of uniforms for both the men’s and women’s teams headed to Paris this summer. For the track and field kits, Nike Chief Innovation Officer John Hoke said in a statement that the company offers athletes “a range of silhouettes tailored for various sport disciplines, body types and sizes, prioritizing performance and maximum breathability.”
Male and female track and field athletes have a dozen competition styles to chose from, Nike added, explaining that “athletes can choose outfits that match their style and personal preference without sacrificing comfort during the games in Paris.” The company also said it will offer tailoring options.
USA Track and Field said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch that it has worked with Nike to ensure that competitors had uniform options.
“USATF is also aware that Nike consulted with athletes throughout the design process to ensure that all athletes are comfortable and that the uniforms are well-suited for their respective events,” the organization said, adding that the unitard that has drawn fire is just one option athletes can choose from.
Nike also recently made waves for another uniform design. Its new Major League Baseball uniforms, which the company said is made from a “breathable, lightweight, high-performance fabric,” are transparent enough that the jerseys’ tags are visible when tucked into the pants’ waistbands. And gray-colored uniforms, made from the same fabric, don’t match the pants when they become soaked with sweat.
Nike told The Athletic it is testing different fabrics to remedy the issue, but it’s unclear if updated outfits will be issued this season.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Long before comic book characters dominated movie screens, actor Christopher Reeve made the world believes in superheroes with the 1978 classic “Superman.”
Reeve died in 2004, nearly a decade after an accident re-shaped his life. “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” is using interviews with family and friends and never-before-seen home videos to explore his real-life heroism.
Reeve started his career on the stage, studying at the prestigious Juilliard School and living with comedian Robin Williams. The pair had a friendship that was “more like a brotherhood,” said Reeve’s son Matthew. Reeve was in awe of Williams’ energy and versatility, Matthew Reeve said, but audiences quickly clued into Reeve’s own star power when he took on the role of the Man of Steel.
Warner Bros. Pictures / Getty Images
To his children, though, he “was just dad,” Matthew Reeve said. The documentary explores how Matthew Reeve and his sister Alexandra Reeve Givens grew up watching their dad take the stage as Superman. “Super/Man” also reveals their heartbreak over their parents’ breakup and the joy they found when Reeve re-married. He tied the knot with Dana Reeve in 1992, and the pair welcomed another child, William Reeve, later that year.
“Dana was sunshine,” Alexandra Reeve Givens recalled. “She just brought joy with her wherever she was and could find it even in the darkest moments.”
Those dark moments came suddenly, when in 1995, a near-fatal horseback riding accident left Reeve paralyzed from the neck down. The documentary allows viewers to see, for the first time, what went on out of the public’s view. Reeve can be heard talking about how he “ruined (his) life and everybody else’s,” but in a touching moment, old friend Robin Williams is seen visiting him in the hospital.
“Robin showed him ‘Hey, you’re still you,'” Alexandra Reeve Givens said. “‘You still have this foundation of friendship and people around you, who adore you. And you’re going to find those fun moments in life again.'”
That support from friends and family re-ignited Reeve’s legacy of activism. He made appearances at the Democratic National Convention and the 68th Academy Awards in 1996, about a year after the accident. Matthew Reeve said watching his father address his industry peers at the Oscars was “one of (his) most proud moments.”
“It was just a production for him to get out of bed every morning, let alone get across the country and go out in public for the first time,” Matthew Reeve said. “It was a big deal. It was a big deal to him, but it was also a big deal to the entire disability community. We stayed up in London till like three in the morning to watch that live. It’s a fond memory.”
Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images
Reeve also went on to launch what would become the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing research into spiral cord injury and help individuals and families impacted by paralysis. It was his dad’s mission to find a cure, Matthew Reeve said, while his stepmother wanted to focus on improving the lives of paralyzed people and their families. The foundation and Reeve’s platform helped bring unprecedented attention and funding to spinal cord injury research.
Reeve even kept acting and realized his lifelong dream of directing with the 1997 HBO movie “In the Gloaming.” Reeve died in 2004 from heart failure at 52.
“There is a huge amount of great actors and actresses out there, where their filmography might be amazing and what they achieve on a cultural level might be amazing, but have they actually achieved anything really as a human that moves the needle for our society?” said filmmaker Ian Bonhote, who made the documentary with Peter Ettedgui. “And Chris has done both things.”
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” will open in theaters on Friday, Oct. 11.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.