Nike is under fire for the US team’s skimpy track and field leotards while critics slam the Olympic uniform for not allowing women to do the “long jump, hurdles or high jump.”

Former and current Team USA female athletes took aim at Nike’s skimpy leotards after their outfits for this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games were unveiled in Paris last week.

The item of clothing that gets the most attention is a high-cut leotard for athletic stars that barely covers the bikini line.

Images released Thursday of the women’s outfit on a mannequin, showing a very low-cut panty line, drew criticism from several athletes for what they saw as a decision favoring tightness over function.

Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was among the American athletes who wore the controversial outfits at a Nike event in Paris, where the games are scheduled to take place.

American middle-distance runner Athing Mu was also present. While Mu wore briefs, Richardson wore a version of the outfit with shorts.

American athlete Athing Mu wore briefs at the team’s kit unveiling in Paris last week.

Sha’Carri Richardson wore a version of the outfit with shorts and Anna Cockrell wore briefs.

“They are absolutely not built for performance,” said U.S. champion Colleen Quigley.

Hurdler Queen Harrison joked that the European Wax Center should become the sponsor of the American team because of the height of the leotard.

Retired track and field athlete Lauren Fleshman has been fiercely critical on Instagram. She wrote: “I’m sorry, but show me a WNBA or NWSL team that would enthusiastically support this kit.

It’s for Olympic athletics. Professional athletes should be able to compete without devoting brain space to constant pubic vigilance or the mental gymnastics of exposing every vulnerable part of your body.

“Women’s kits must be at the service of performance, mentally and physically. If this outfit was truly beneficial to physical performance, men would wear it. This is not an elite athletic kit for track and field.

“This is a costume born from patriarchal forces that are no longer welcome or necessary to bring attention to women’s sports. I’m queer and I’m attracted to female bodies, but I don’t expect and don’t like to see female athletes or male athletes put in a position to combat self-consciousness in the workplace.

“This is not part of the job description. I have lived this life and I know that excellence is born from unconsciousness, freedom and the embodiment of action and instinct. Stop making it harder for half the population @nike @teamUSA @usatf.’

Even athletes from other countries, like Great Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who asked on social media: “Was a female athlete seen in this team kit?!?”

Retired track and field athlete Lauren Fleshman said the outfit was “born out of patriarchal forces that are no longer welcome or necessary.”

Katie Moon, the reigning Nike-sponsored Olympic pole vault champion, offered the company’s most impassioned defense on social media.

She began her post by saying that the leotard shown on the model “was concerning and warranted the response it received.”

But she said women have at least 20 different uniform combinations to compete in and can also choose styles designed for men.

“When you attack buns and crop tops by saying something like ‘sexist’ (which it would be if that were our only choice), even if it’s with the best of intentions, you’re ultimately attacking “It’s our decision as a woman to wear it,” she said.

She also posted photos of herself trying on the kit, commenting: “If it helps give women a little peace of mind… I tried the same style today and wasn’t worried about… things… coming out .

“I think it’s just the model. This looked similar to the last kit, just a slightly higher cut. I know every body is different, so just my take.

Nike said it was offering athletes uniform options with both briefs and shorts for these Olympics, while it only offered the briefs for the Tokyo Olympics.

Reigning Olympic pole vault champion Katie Moon defends Nike on social media

Director John Hoke insisted the company worked “directly with athletes at every stage of the design process”.

The men’s and women’s athletic kits include nearly 50 garments and 12 competition styles for specific events, the brand said when launching the outfits.

A USA Track & Field spokesperson said: “Athlete options and choices were the driving force for USATF in the planning process with Nike.”

Nike has already found itself at the center of another uniform debate.

Several Major League Baseball players have complained about the fit of the new Nike Vapor Premier during spring training.

Nike has been designing MLB uniforms since 2020 and Fanatics has been making them since 2017, but this marked the first year for Nike Vapor Premier jerseys.