German gymnasts are wearing unitards to stand against ‘sexualization.’

When the four members of the German women’s gymnastics team walked onto the competition floor on Sunday evening wearing sparkly ankle-length unitards, they were sending a message that the country’s gymnastics federation has characterized as “against sexualization in gymnastics.”

The Germans first competed in long-legged unitards, as opposed to the leotards that are common in women’s gymnastics, at the European championships in April. At the time, one team member, Elisabeth Seitz, said the choice set an example “to all gymnasts who may feel uncomfortable or even sexualized in normal suits.”

“Every gymnast should be able to decide in which type of suit she feels most comfortable,” Seitz, 27, added.

There is no rule in women’s gymnastics against unitards, and some athletes wear them for religious reasons. Men typically compete in a singlet and looser pants, and many women prefer to train in shorts rather than bikini-cut leotards.