German Olympic gymnasts wearing unitard to combat 'sexualization in gymnastics'

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German female Olympic gymnasts will debut a unique look at the Tokyo Games.

Instead of going with the traditional leotards, the German team members will wear a unitard covering their legs and instead of showing off their arms.

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The German team first debuted the unconventional full-length uniform at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in April, according to BBC. The German Federation (DTB) said at the time the gymnasts were standing up against "sexualization in gymnastics."

Sarah Voss, who is at the 2020 Olympics to compete for Germany, said in April she hoped that other gymnasts who are "uncomfortable in the usual outfits will feel emboldened to follow our example."

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Sarah Voss of Germany competes on Uneven Bars during the Women's All-Around Final of the Artistic Gymnastics Die Finals 2021 on June 3, 2021, in Dortmund, Germany. (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Voss told public broadcaster ZDF at the time she started to feel "uncomfortable" with the outfits as she grew older.

"We women all want to feel good in our skin," she said. "In the sport of gymnastics it gets harder and harder as you grow out of your child's body. As a little girl I didn't see the tight gym outfits as such a big deal. But when puberty began, when my period came, I began feeling increasingly uncomfortable."

On Thursday, as the team prepared for the Games, Voss’ teammate Pauline Schaefer posted a photo of her teammates on Instagram.

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"We mastered our podium training well," Schaefer wrote. "Tomorrow we will rest, properly train the day after tomorrow and on Sunday the competition will finally get serious."