Earlier this month, world-renowned athletic corporation Nike revealed its 2024 U.S.A. Olympic track and field uniforms. Though Olympic uniforms are normally well-refined, anyone who truly looks at this year’s track uniforms would notice how problematic they are for women. 

When I initially stumbled upon these uniforms last week, I thought they were stylish with their varying colors, and I appreciated the font choice of the U.S.A. 

However, then I looked at the bottom half of the uniforms and felt horrible for the poor female athletes at the top of their game who must wear such a revolting uniform. 

If you look closely, you may notice that the uniform rides very high up on the hips of the female mannequin. I can only imagine the fear that must come with running in a uniform that might expose you. 

The Olympics are viewed worldwide, and it would be mortifying to witness a woman feeling not only uncomfortable but exposed for the whole world to see. I can only imagine how bad the publicity would be for any woman who were to experience that. 

Does Nike not realize the problem with that? Or is the company just ignorant of the female body? Because it certainly seems like it. 

All women should feel comfortable while they’re performing the sport that they love, not wondering if their butt or vagina is going to pop out for the world to see. 

And, of course, none of the male participants have to worry about this issue because they’re fully covered with shorts. 

Whenever I  see a track and field event, I always see women in itty-bitty uniform bottoms that might as well be part of a bathing suit. They’re always skimpy and way too revealing.

Meanwhile, men’s uniforms are designed with shorts, so almost nothing is on display unless the shorts are too short, which is almost never the case. 

Nevertheless, there’s clearly a discrepancy here. Women are forced to wear more revealing outfits, and men are not. I think anyone in the universe can figure out why that is. 

No matter the millions of strides that women have made to make a name for themselves outside of their physical attributes, they continue to be forced to wear things designed by men. 

Look at any major fashion brand; the executives or anyone higher on the corporate ladder are almost entirely men. This includes Nike’s current chief executive officer, John Donahue, a white male who I’m sure understands little to nothing about female anatomy. 

Guess what Donahue, running in a skimpy uniform like yours is going to make women uncomfortable and not want to perform. I don’t know if you know this or not, but wearing a uniform like that will create a thong in either the back or front, which is not ideal for women on a worldwide platform. 

Supposedly, Nike designed these uniforms with comfort in mind, but I can’t imagine a rising uniform that may go up your butt to be classified as a comfortable article of clothing. 

However, maybe Donahue made the right call. Maybe women will simply grit their teeth and tolerate the uncomfortable, considering we’ve been forced to for centuries. So, thanks for that “wonderful” reminder, Donahue. 

Sarcasm aside, perhaps the funniest part of this issue is that Nike claims that there will be other options available for athletes to choose from, yet we haven’t seen any of these other options. 

Even if there are more options, the fact that this one was the first to be revealed for athletes in this country is absolutely horrible. I can only imagine how many men loved this uniform idea.

Nonetheless, I truly hope that if the Olympics or even Nike forces women to wear this uniform, they’ll at least give them a free waxing. Because let’s be real: This uniform will show any woman’s private parts. 

I don’t care if you’re thin, thick, curvy or anything in between. You deserve to feel comfortable not only from the fashion industry but also during your performance in the sport you love.

These uniforms don’t empower women to perform at their best. It demonstrates how we’re continuously viewed as a piece of meat to be shown off to the public. So screw you, Nike. 

Taylor Hamilton is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Tallahassee, Florida.