Whatever your gender, there’s an article just published Thursday on ESPNW that will probably pique your interest.
Written by Slate regular Amanda Hess, the focus of the article is entirely on women’s breasts in the context of professional sports. That is to say, much of the article is a study into whether large breasts pose a legitimate competitive disadvantage in sports, and the lengths to which some women will go to keep their bust size down.
The article begins by setting a scene from UFC fighter Ronda Rousey‘s February bout — the first women’s fight in UFC history. According to the article, Rousey’s handlers had brought with them the incorrect sports bra. Rather than the significantly thicker one she wore for fights, they had instead come with a spaghetti strap usually just worn for weigh-ins.
“When someone’s on your back trying to rip your head off, things tend to slip around a bit,” Rousey said. “I got kicked straight in the chest right as I was trying to adjust my bra.”
Rousey eventually overcame opponent Liz Carmouche (and a wardrobe malfunction) with her signature armbar, but Hess clearly uses the incident as an example of the physical realities of womanhood.
“Gina Carano was an amazing fighter, and she had a fantastic rack,” Rousey said, before hedging. “You don’t see big [breasts] in the Olympics, and I think that’s for a reason.”
There are many other interesting facts and points to come out in the article, which is a legitimately good read. Among those facts are everything from the knowledge that nipples can accelerate faster than a Ferrari to a story about the first woman to wear a bib at the Boston Marathon.
The ultimate scientific conclusions of the article aren’t definitive, though it does describe Serena Williams‘ proportions, for instance, as an “outlier” among successful female tennis players. However, the main theme of the article is often the sexism women face related to that part of their anatomy, and that’s undeniably a valid charge.
Photo via Twitter/@LaMonicaMark
