# The Well-Dressed Gymnast **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2000, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825 "2000-09-28T01:01:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![domina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@domina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/domina)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/1 "2000-09-28T01:01:36Z")
While watching the men’s gymnastics this Olympics, I started wondering why they change their clothes for different exercises. They wear shorts and bare feet for the floor and vault, but pants and shoes for everything else. The women wear the same leotards for everything. Not a matter of earth-shaking import, but what’s going on? ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/2 "2000-09-28T02:05:54Z")
That’s a good question. I first thought that they’d wear the “pants” when working on p-bars, high bar and the horse because the pants would have a slicker surface than skin allowing the athlete a better chance of not sticking to the aparatus. But they also wear pants when on the rings, and there shouldn’t be too much contact there. I know they wear shorts when doing floor ex. Hm. ? ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/3 "2000-09-28T02:15:27Z")
Those pants are called form pants. (At least that’s what we called them on my gymnastics team) When your legs are straight and your toes are pointed they make the top of the leg look perfectly straight. On most of the equipment your legs should be straight and toes pointed at alomst all times. The pants just make your form look better. On floor and vault there is running which makes the form pants useless. I don’t know why women don’t wear them, but it is probably because women never wore them. The only event they would do any good on is uneven bars so that might have something to do with it as well. ---
**Author:** ![madd1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@madd1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madd1)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/4 "2000-09-28T03:12:59Z")
Hijack! (Sorry) IMHO participants in the Olympics should NOT be allowed to wear clothes. Some clothing may enhance performance and that’s just not right. They should all play nakkie. This might also put to rest all of those “She’s a he and he’s a she” rumors. To you network execs out there…think of the ratings! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/5 "2000-09-28T03:18:15Z")
madd1 > [@](#): > > IMHO participants in the Olympics should NOT be allowed to wear clothes. > Some clothing may enhance performance and that’s just not right. > They should all play nakkie. This might also put to rest all of those “She’s a he and he’s a she” rumors. > To you network execs out there…think of the ratings! Well, you know what the _gymn-_ in _gymnast_ originally meant, don’t you? One of my co-workers is a yoga teacher and sometimes we get together at midday in the fitness center and do some yoga. One guy told her the other day “I forgot to bring my gymn clothes.” I wisecracked: “If you think of ‘gymn’ in the ancient Greek sense, then ‘gymn clothes’ is an oxymoron!” ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/6 "2000-09-28T03:27:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ishmintingas \* > One of my co-workers is a yoga teacher and sometimes we get together at midday in the fitness center and do some yoga. One guy told her the other day “I forgot to bring my gymn clothes.” I wisecracked: “If you think of ‘gymn’ in the ancient Greek sense, then ‘gymn clothes’ is an oxymoron!” \*\* Man, you are one wacky zany person! 😃 Of course, I laughed, so what does that say about me? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/7 "2000-09-28T03:41:51Z")
At work we had a laugh over this suggestion. “I’ve heard of ‘Casual Friday’ but I don’t think they’re ready for going _that_ casual yet!” ---
**Author:** ![domina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@domina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/domina)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/8 "2000-09-28T03:46:49Z")
I wouldn’t mind seeing nude gymnasts, but going a-dangling on the pommel horse sounds a little hazardous. And the wrestlers, well, you’d never hear from them again! ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/9 "2000-09-28T04:27:45Z")
> [@](#): > > IMHO participants in the Olympics should NOT be allowed to wear clothes. Some clothing may enhance performance and that’s just not right. They should all play nakkie. This might also put to rest all of those “She’s a he and he’s a she” rumors. To you network execs out there…think of the ratings! Well if you get that measure passed, I will be the first one in line to support adding women’s wrestling to the Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/10 "2000-09-28T05:04:35Z")
::shoves wolfman out of the way to be first in line:: –Tim ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/11 "2000-09-28T11:22:10Z")
I am totally for an all nude olympics. I can’t wait to see the nude men’s ice dancing. ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/12 "2000-09-29T01:36:22Z")
Nude Equestrian events. Jumping. Skinny dipping…as an 800 IM. It would get slower, I think. Bummer, I love IMs. Track and Field. I _used_ to wonder if the pinned on numbers distracted the runners. ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/13 "2000-09-29T03:55:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by madd1 \* > \*\*Hijack! (Sorry) > IMHO participants in the Olympics should NOT be allowed to wear clothes. > Some clothing may enhance performance and that’s just not right. > They should all play nakkie. This might also put to rest all of those “She’s a he and he’s a she” rumors. > To you network execs out there…think of the ratings! > > \*\* Of course, as somebody ( **Homer**?) said in another thread, all the female gymnasts are 13-16 nowadays… ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/14 "2000-09-29T06:20:20Z")
Nudity would also help in the fight against doping. “And here comes Bob Smith of the… Oh, dear. Chest like a barrel, legs like a bull, nuts like a pair of marbles. Looks like a poster child for steroid abuse if I ever saw one. Yes, and here comes an IOC official to make Bob pee in a little plastic cup. Oh, what a shocking development! Looks like Bob’s career is over, wouldn’t you say, John?” “You bet, Phil, and his chances of getting a date aren’t looking too good either at this point in time. Back to the studio…” ---
**Author:** ![Kipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kipper)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-well-dressed-gymnast/34825/15 "2000-09-29T07:42:26Z")
Dave Barry pointed out that unlike the Greek Olympics in the modern Olympics all the contestants were clothes, exept for Table Tennis, which is why you never see it on TV.