One of the lasting memories of the 2022 Uefa Women’s Euro is England’s Chloe Kelly celebrating her match-winning goal by taking her shirt off and running towards her teammates in sheer joy. It was seen as a significant and empowering moment for women’s sport as the image of a woman in her sports bra was a representation of skill and power, not an objectification of her body.
Sports bras are being recognised across elite sport as an essential part of the female athlete’s kit. In a survey of UK female athletes, 51% experienced breast pain and 29% said that poorly fitting bras affected their performance. Before the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Team GB athletes and para-athletes were offered a bra prescription service in which they were fitted with a sports bra based on an individual assessment. Around 97% of those prescribed a bra reported benefits in comfort, fit and support, while 17% said it had significantly improved their performance.
