Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
Ever wonder how Olympic gymnasts manage to do all those flips, jumps, and splits without getting major wedgies?
Well, unsurprisingly, a lot goes into the design of their leotards to prevent slipping and shifting. For starters, the company that produces American Olympic gymnasts’ performance outfits, GK Elite, tailors each outfit to the athlete’s measurements using very specific materials.
The custom-fitted uniforms then undergo trial wears and testing to make sure they fit and stay put.
In addition to these measures, body adhesives and special underwear provide further anti-wedgie reinforcement, though they’re secondary to just making sure the leotards are a great fit.
This intense design process starts about two years prior to the actual competition.