Double Paralympic world champion Olivia Breen called out an official at the English Championships for criticizing the length of her sprint briefs after she participated in the long jump competition.

On Sunday, Breen took to Twitter to share her disappointment after a female official approached her and said the sprint briefs she was wearing were “too short and inappropriate.”

“I was left speechless. I have been wearing the same style sprint briefs for many years, and they are specifically designed for competing in. I will hopefully be wearing them in Tokyo,” she explained.

Breen, who has cerebral palsy, has won several awards, including World gold in the T35-38 4x100m relay. The athlete admitted the comment made her wonder if her peers faced similar problems.

“It made me question whether a male competitor would be similarly criticized. I hope no other female athletes had similar issues,” she said

“I recognize that there needs to be regulations and guidelines in relation to competition kit, but women should not be made to feel self-conscious about what they are wearing when competing.”

A spokesperson for England Athletics revealed they would investigate the incident.

“We are aware of the post and will be investigating as a matter of urgency. The wellbeing of all participants in athletics is of the utmost importance and everyone should feel comfortable to compete and participate in the sport,” the rep said.

For now, Breen is hoping to raise awareness about the issue and plans to lodge an official complaint about the matter with England Athletics.

The delayed Tokyo Olympics have been plagued by coronavirus concerns
The delayed Tokyo Olympics have been plagued by coronavirus concerns AFP / Philip FONG
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