Kind of bummed; beach volleyball bikinis

Ever wondered why female beach volleyball players wear micro-bikinis? Four-time Olympian Natalie Cook has provided a straight answer. While the rules of the sport have changed to make it more pacy for television coverage, 2000 Olympic gold medallist Cook said the bikinis are not about audience eye candy but all about the conditions.

"...we wear a bikini because it is hot out there most of the time,'' Cook, the first female beach volleyballer to go to four Olympic Games, said.

If a woman wants to play under the auspices of the International Volleyball Federation, she better get out her tape measure; women's uniform bottoms have to be two and a half inches wide on the sides. The federation, based in Switzerland, decided the uniforms should be standardized. It says beach volleyball is played on the beach, so swimsuits are in keeping with the sun and fun atmosphere.

Apparently the 'fun atmosphere' only applies to women; male volleyball players are now required to wear shorts that fall a bit above the knee.

"I'm kind of bummed; I like my tights," said the sport's most famous player, Gabrielle Reece, who is known for wearing black Lycra tights rather than a bikini suit while playing.

Despite Natalie Cook's 'straight answer'; I'm still wondering why female beach volleyball players wear micro-bikinis. If this ruling is not simply about providing eye candy for TV cameras, surely male beach volleyball players should be made to wear skimpy bikinis too.