Beach Handball Changed Its 'Sexist' Uniform Rule & Norway's Women Can Finally Wear Shorts
No more mandatory bikini bottoms!
Who wears short shorts?
Anyone who wants to in international beach handball — and that's all thanks to the Norwegian women's team.
The International Handball Federation has quietly changed its uniform rules to let women wear spandex shorts instead of bikini bottoms after Norway put the sport's top European body on blast for its "sexist" uniform rules.
The old rules said that women must wear bikini bottoms in international competition, but Norway defied those rules by letting its women wear shorts in a bronze-medal match in July.
They argued at the time that shorts are more comfortable, and that it's only fair because men are allowed to wear them.
The European Handball Federation fined the entire team for breaking its rule and the story quickly went international, with Pink eventually jumping in and offering to pay the fines.
"I'm VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR 'uniform,'" Pink wrote at the time.
I\u2019m VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR \u201cuniform\u201d. The European handball federation SHOULD BE FINED FOR SEXISM. Good on ya, ladies. I\u2019ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up.— P!nk (@P!nk) 1627181370
The IHF's new rules were published on October 3 and they specifically change the women's uniform to include "short tight pants with a close fit" instead of bikini bottoms.
The new uniform comes into effect on January 1, according to the IHF website.
The EHF is a member of the IHF, so the new change will apply to it, too.
Way to go, Team Norway!