The Norwegian women's handball team is being fined for wearing shorts instead of the more revealing bikini bottoms normally seen.
The European Handball Federation announced Monday that it was fining the Norwegian women’s team for wearing spandex shorts instead of the mandated bikini bottoms.
The federation said the “case of improper clothing” during the European Handball Championship bronze medal game Sunday against Spain resulted in a 150 euro fine per player, or about $176, with a total fine of 1,500 euros.
The International Handball Federation clothing guidelines state that male players can wear shorts that extend to “10 centimetres above the kneecap,” however, female athletes “must wear bikini bottoms that are in accordance with the enclosed graph, with a closed fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg,” adding that the maximum side width is 10 centimeters.
Accoding to NBC: Norwegian Handball Federation President Kåre Geir Lio told NBC News by phone from Oslo. "It's not [appropriate clothing for] the activity when they are playing in the sand. The women's team trains and competes in "what they want, like the boys" at home in Norway, but is subject to the International Handball Federation's clothing rules when playing abroad, he said.
The team had petitioned to wear the shorts its players train in from the start of the tournament, Lio said, but was threatened by the EHA with a fine or disqualification. By Sunday's bronze medal game the women decided to make a statement.
Norway has campaigned since 2006 for shorts to be officially considered acceptable in beach handball, and will submit a motion to change the rules in an extraordinary congress of the IHF in November, said Lio.