London Olympics, women's athletes' wardrobes are source of debate

 

LONDON — More than a century after women were first allowed to compete in the Olympics, the run-up to the 2012 London Games has been fraught with controversy over what, exactly, female athletes should wear.

Beach volleyball players will be able to wear more clothes, rather than less, for the first time in Olympic competition — free to swap their bikinis for more modest shorts and sleeved tops. The change, announced in spring, was designed to accommodate countries' cultural beliefs but, in the process, has devastated legions of male fans who cheer the sport's skimpy attire as much as its athleticism.