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Dress code in RG
 | The rhythmic gymnasts must wear a one piece leotard (with sleeves or not but the thin straps are not authorized). This leotard must be correct and not transparent (but the flesh-coloured veil is allowed). The decorations like feathers, knots ,flowers, etc… added to the leotard are not allowed. All leotard colours (even gold and silver) are allowed now. The cut of the leotard at the top of the legs must not go higher than the waist (G strings are not allowed) and the low neckline of the leo shouldn't go lower than half of the sternum and than the scapulas behind. It’s tolerate
to wear a long skin tight right up the ankles on the leotard or a long leotard
(cat-suit) only if they stick to the body and to the legs. Tights can be added to the leotard. The color must be identical on the 2 legs but the design can be different.
The members of a group must wear identical leos (matter, shape, drawing, color). Any failure with these rules could be sanctioned in the marks allotted to the gymnasts (penalty of 0.50 points). |
The gymnast can wear a different leotard for each routine. Then, she can adapt the leotard with the music and with the exercise style.
For a modern routine, Leos are often flashy or black; for a classical routine, white; for a romantic routine, pastel ; for an oriental routine, purple or blue and for a Spanish routine, black and red.
But some gymnasts choose to wear the same leotard for two or three routines. For example, Boriana Guineva (Bul) wore the same cat-suit during her clubs and her ribbon routines in the 1997 worlds championships.
And some leotards have been worn by many gymnasts : This one was used by Barsukova (for her olympic rope in 2000), by Kabaeva (Olympic gala in 2000) and by Sessina (hoop 2001). A leotard with dress is expensive and gymnasts often sell their old leos to other gymnast, even to gymnast from other countries.
Do you know...
Yulia Barsukova’s mother was the designer of the Russian team’s leotards. Today, designers are real professionnal.
Some rhythmic gymnasts like Elena Vitrichenko (Ukr), Julia Lombara (Can) or Yanina Batyrshina (Rus), design her own leotards. Elena’s leotards are unique and made to measure.
The French group had a bad surprise just few days before the 2002 worlds championships when they received their cat-suit: the cat-suit were loose-fitting and the flowers on them were too big (Cat-suit didn’t look like they was on the drawings). Luckily, the group’s couturier was able to adjust them.
Bulgarian gymnasts have often been penalized for their outfit (see history about outfit). It’s the case of Stella Salapatyaska. For her come back in 2000 judge gave her a deduction in her mark for indecent leotards (her leo was quite transparent). It was also the case of Magdalena Brzeska (Ger) who wore a too indented leotards in a competition (her dressmaker had been mistaken in measurements).
At the time of a competition, Almudena Cid Tostado (Spa) didn't have her leotards in time. Alina Kabaeva (Rus) thus lent one of her leos to her.
A little History about RG's outfit
Before the first worlds championships (1963)During the 1920’ RG gymnasts wore skirts (but longer than now). In the 1930’, they wore shorts and since the 1950’, leotards. | |
Until 1992The
gymnasts’ outfit are strictly defined by rules. There are usually with
one or two colours only. And gymnasts who are supposed to wear an indecent
leotards could be sanctioned in there mark! At the 1992 Olympic games
in Barcelona, the Bulgarian Maria Petrova had a deduction of 0.20 points
for having her zip went down! The same thing happened to the Bulgarian
group because we could saw the shoulders blade of the girls. Example of leos of this period : |
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1993-1996Unitards appear in RG. The first who wore an unitard in a RG world competition was Ekaterina Serebrianskaya (Ukr). Example of leos of this period : |
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1997-2000Gymnasts could wear gold and silver leotards since 1997. The leotards became more flashy and transparent. They become truly artistic (like figure skating costumes) and look like less sports gears, being more and more different from artistic gymnastic leos. Example of leos of this period : |
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Since 2001Skirts
have been allowed in RG competition, requested by Irina Viner. The Russian girls were the first
to wear skirts (Kabaeva, Tchachina) in competition. Almost everybody have
skirts now and gymnasts even combine unitards or tights with skirts. As the skirts are very expensive, the gymnasts resell their leotards. It is very frequent seeing different gymnasts wearing the same leo, even when they are from different countries. In the same way, the skirts of the most known gymnasts, drawn by designers, are often copied. Example of leos of this period : |
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