Athletic Attire Gone Wrong: The Most Jaw-Dropping Moments In Sports History
People enjoy sports for reasons other than judging who the best player is. Sports divert people’s focus away from the difficulties of daily life. They provide an opportunity for people to relax at the end of a long day or week by allowing them to sit down and play. Sportsmen accomplishing seemingly superhuman acrobatic feats while wearing tight athletic clothing may occasionally make fashion gaffes that divert our focus away from the competition. Take a look at some of the best photographs taken using a camera!
God Bless Facemasks
Even though football is a somewhat physical contact sport, wardrobe mistakes are uncommon, at least not from the players themselves. When you do see them, they typically resemble this to a certain extent. When attempting to tackle Rob Gronkowski of New England, a Baltimore Ravens player got a little bit more than he bargained for and ended up getting hit in the face by Gronk’s behind.
God Bless Facemasks
Gronkowski was ultimately brought to the ground as a result of the tackle, which is still a victory because it gave him the ball despite the circumstances. We’re not sure, though, if the Ravens player would entirely concur.
Right in the Center
Several of the swimsuits on this list experienced splits, and we assume that’s because swimmers’ suits need to be extremely tight to reduce drag. Still, that frequently results in disastrous events, like this one during the World Championships. During a dive, American swimmer Ricky Berens felt a split in the middle of his bathing suit. He resumed the race, but we are certain that the added drag had an impact on his time.
Right in the Center
The fact that photographers were able to get so many different images of the accident, though, may be even more astonishing. That would require exceptional timing.
How Do I Look?
There are a few sportsmen on this list who have taken ownership of their wardrobe malfunctions, none more so than bobsledder Christopher Spring. Spring wanted to try on his uniform the night before an Olympic event, and this is what occurred. The front zipper had broken, exposing his stomach. Instead of becoming discouraged, he shared the shot on Twitter for everybody to see. We’re sure that also aided him in obtaining a new uniform.
How Do I Look?
We assume that trying on the uniform the night before was a good idea because otherwise he would have had to deal with this throughout the competition the following day.
Angees?
This one is worth mentioning despite not being quite as horrible as some of the other items on the list because of how ludicrous it is. Adam Riggs, a baseball player, once onto the field wearing a jersey that read “Angees.” The Angels were the genuine name of his squad, although it’s difficult to fathom how anyone could have made such a mistake. It was later discovered that the manufacturer was to blame.
Angees?
Perhaps someone at the factory was having a bad day and overlooked the massive spelling error on the front of the jersey, but you’d think someone would realize “Angees” isn’t a real word, right?
No Pockets, No Problems
We’re not sure when or when this shot was taken, but it has to be one of the most amusing and imaginative on our list. A cheerleader opted to store her phone in her shorts, but because cheering uniforms often do not contain pockets, she was forced to stuff it down her shorts. Someone photographed the phone during this motion, and we’re sure some in the audience did as well.
No Pockets, No Problems
However, we can’t say we really blame her—after all, where else would you put your phone if you didn’t have pockets? It cannot simply be left on the ground.
Running Like You Do Care
To say that Italy’s Alberto Nonino was disappointed after the race would be an understatement. The runner had gotten off to a solid start and appeared to be in the top three when calamity struck. He abruptly began groping for his shorts, indicating that he was experiencing a wardrobe malfunction not long after the race had begun. Needless to say, he lost time in the race.
Running Like You Do Care
The runner called the reporters out for bullying them, and when they wrote about the scene afterwards, they used some pretty colorful language — something they typically write about themselves.
That is unquestionably a penalty
Okay, so no penalty was imposed as a result of this incident, but it should have been. Nick Helenius is the player with his pants down, and this occurred during a soccer match in 2013. The opposition player was undoubtedly trying to hinder Helenius from scoring, and what better way to accomplish so than to grasp and pull down his pants? We’re quite sure that wasn’t what was going through his mind at the time.
That is unquestionably a penalty
The more likely explanation is that he was simply trying to prevent Helenius from kicking and scoring a goal when he accidently grabbed and pulled down his shorts.
Regulation Uniform
You don’t have to watch professional tennis to understand that players place a high value on style. Wimbledon, arguably the sport’s greatest stadium, requires players to wear all white while competing. So when professional tennis player Arantxa Rus came up to an Olympic game with nothing underneath her skirt, fans and players were perplexed. However, tennis is a physically demanding sport, and we can’t blame her for needing some fresh air.
Regulation Uniform
She probably didn’t think either that almost every camera in the arena would immediately focus on her nether parts if she made a mistake in her motion, but that’s probably what happened.
Maintain Your Focus On The Ball
Venus and Serena Williams are remembered more for their physical dominance and fine apparel than for any gaffes they may have committed on the court. This does not rule out the possibility that they have consumed any. On one of her outings, Venus wore flesh-toned shorts beneath her skirt. These shorts aren’t very unattractive on their own, but because she wore them beneath her skirt, many worried if she was wearing anything else underneath her attire.
Maintain Your Focus On The Ball
Given that the cameras are typically zoomed out, we could understand how someone may become perplexed, especially if they were sitting far away in the stands or even watching from home.
Hyping Up The Crowd
Cheerleading is definitely much harder than most people realize, especially at the highest levels. The cheerleader training camps are quite demanding, and some of the acrobatics need a lot of strength. And even after attending the camps and mastering every action, the audience may still fail to pay attention to you when you are on stage. If you’re anyone other than the cheerleader in this picture, that is.
Hyping Up The Crowd
She presumably didn’t have any issue getting the crowd into it after her strap broke in the middle of an act. And she also simply kept going with it, for a while.
Water Polo Mishap
Water polo players’ uniforms are frequently more subdued than the uniforms worn by sportsmen competing in other water-based sports. This is one of the reasons why this image, as well as a few others on this list, are so startling. However, it appears that committing blunders while participating in sports is rather common. Despite the fact that they do not have proper protection, the athletes make it a point to look out for the safety of their colleagues.
Water Polo Mishap
We’re sure it’s also difficult to detect when you have a wardrobe malfunction in the pool because you’re swimming around trying to hunt down the ball and opponents.
At the very least, it did not rip during the event
This one is actually a little depressing to consider. Flavia Zoccari, an Italian swimmer, had a large rip in her swimsuit immediately before a competition, causing her to lose the race. The rip, which we believe is a touch severe, was the reason she was rejected. If someone needs to change swimsuits during the race, you’d think the officials could pause it for five minutes, but we’re guessing that won’t be possible.
At the very least, it did not rip during the event.
We don’t know why this specific suit, which was obviously very, very expensive, ended up ripping and costing her the race. Swimmer’s suits need to be quite tight in order to reduce drag.
Letting It All Hang Out
We’ve never seen a race like this before, and we’re confident neither did the crowd in 2017. That was when marathon runner Jozef Urban let it all hang out on his way to the finish line. To be honest, we can’t blame him. What could you possibly do in this position, halt and risk being passed up? Still, it takes a lot of guts to disregard this and keep running.
Letting It All Hang Out
That’s particularly true when it appears that everyone in the crowd decided to pull out their cameras and focus on the wardrobe mistake at once. He most likely wore more form-fitting underpants on his subsequent outing.
Just Another Day In The Legends League
If you’re not familiar, the Legends Football League is an American football league for women that was founded in 2009. Although when it originally started, it was fittingly called the Lingerie League. In any case, female football players participate in the sport and play American football under fairly similar rules to their male counterparts, with one significant exception. And by simply looking at this picture, we’re confident you can see the difference.
Just Another Day In The Legends League
Because football is such a physical sport and the Legends League’s jerseys are so limited, wardrobe catastrophes like these aren’t uncommon. When tackling, you must wrap yourself in some way.
Oh Hey, Look Over There!
Figure skating has been plagued with wardrobe mishaps for as long as it has existed. That’s mostly because clothes play a big role in figure skating. Athletes don’t really wear what you may call uniforms in many other sports. And frequently, those costumes are designed to impress judges rather than take into account all the acrobatics necessary in figure skating. Enter Ekaterina Rubleva, a Russian figure skater.
Oh Hey, Look Over There!
Rubleva’s shoulder strap snapped at the European Figure Skating Championships, causing an incident that we’re sure she wasn’t expecting. Despite this, the skater valiantly completed her routine.
Unfortunate Design Decisions
Athletes frequently have no control over their wardrobe mistakes. This was the situation when the national cycling team of Colombia presented its new gear back in 2014. It goes without saying that the skin-tone aspect of the uniform caused a few questions, not the least of which was the rather awful line that ran down it. Even in places where you wouldn’t actually want translucent material, the outfits were slightly translucent.
Unfortunate Design Decisions
Many people used social media to express their displeasure once the images were made public, and for a while Twitter even classified images of the outfit as sensitive material.
Jockeying For First
This one is a little bit confusing. Not because of the publicity, but rather because before a race, jockeys undoubtedly train a great deal while wearing their outfits. So there shouldn’t be any reason why your pants should suddenly start to slip down as you run along the track, should there? Tell that to rider Blake Shinn, though, who took this picture after the bottom of his uniform fell down during a race.
Jockeying For First
We are unable to fathom the humiliation that must have followed this circumstance. Shinn persisted though, finishing the race and giving it his best in front of the crowd and the cameras.
When You Accidentally Declare War
Many incidences using the Philippine flag have occurred, however not all of them include athletic gear. This, however, does. Sprinters Kayla Richardson and Eric Cray’s clothing caught our attention during a Southeast Asian Games expedition. Their uniforms featured an upside-down flag. It’s hardly a big deal, but the Philippines only flips their flag so that the red stripe is on top when there is hostilities.
When You Accidentally Declare War
Fortunately, it turned out that there was no genuine battle going on and that the suppliers were to blame for the error. When it was revealed, we’re certain that some people breathed a sigh of relief.
Washed Away
Although small beach waves may not seem formidable, they are actually quite powerful. At least they are powerful enough to remove your garments. Surfer Stephanie Gilmore experienced it during a 2014 Vogue picture session, when some errant waves nearly took away her top. She was able to swiftly put it back on because the incident didn’t occur during a public competition, but we’re sure it still caught everyone off guard.
Washed Away
Oh, and did we also mention that she was riding a surfboard at the time, and she still made a full recovery? In all honesty, those balance abilities are quite astounding.
Bobsledding Is Never A Dull Sport
While there aren’t many awkward positions and poses associated with bobsledding, there are a few. And this can result in some embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions. Gillian Cooke’s outfit ripped in one of the most inconvenient places just before she was about to launch in the 2010 Olympics. It’s one thing to have your pants ripped on national television, but to have them ripped in front of a global audience?
Bobsledding Is Never A Dull Sport
Fortunately, Cooke was a trooper and has stated that she now uses the situation to bond with new teammates. That is, without a doubt, the finest method to approach a situation like this.
Raise The Flag
The clothes worn by Singapore’s water polo team are not on any list of bad athletic uniforms. The problem with these uniforms wasn’t only that they were too short (though that undoubtedly contributed). The majority of men’s water polo uniforms are shaped in this manner. Instead, the issue was the positioning of the flag. The crescent is visible in the shot exactly in the centre of the outfit.
Raise The Flag
Later, the designer explained that it was meant to be more off to the side, but that didn’t stop many citizens of the nation from criticizing it.
The Lingeri… We Mean Legends League
The Legends League, formerly known as the Lingerie League, has received a lot of criticism throughout the years and continues to do so. American football was being played by women who were only wearing protective gear. It probably received its name from there, which is also why it had to change it. Although the location and timing of the photo’s capture are unknown, situations like this are regular in the sport.
The Lingeri… We Mean Legends League
And, given that this is a very competitive sport (the knocks and tackles are quite hard), it’s no surprise that some would grab for anything to bring a rival player down.
Looking The Other Way
Here is a picture from a women’s water polo game. We don’t know when it was taken, but it’s clear that one of the teams is Spanish. In this photo, it also appears that she is not paying attention to the fact that her costume is sort of acting on its own, but a professional player is always focused on the game. Most likely, you don’t even have the time to stress over minor fashion mishaps.
Looking The Other Way
Not right now, at least. After the game, there were undoubtedly some embarrassing comments and inquiries on social media and in the press briefing room.
Leaving It All On The Ice
This list has a number of repeat sports, some of which aren’t really surprising. Nora Hoffmann, a skater, was involved in this incident involving figure skating in 2010 at a competition in Beijing. The worst thing about this incident is probably that it’s not as horrible as some of the others on our list and would have gone unreported if a photographer hadn’t been able to take this picture.
Leaving It All On The Ice
But that’s how things go sometimes, especially when you have a stadium full of people who are obsessed with you and your routine. Unfortunately for Hoffman, this was not the first time she had a wardrobe mishap.
When Your Skating Partner Causes A Scene
During the 2018 Winter Olympics, French ice skater Gabriella Papadakis struggled to keep her dress from coming down while performing her performance, although it wasn’t her fault or that of her outfit. Her skater partner untied the back of her dress by mistake during one series of movements, forcing it to fall. Fortunately, Papadakis maintained her composure long enough to finish her performance while preventing it from collapsing completely.
When Your Skating Partner Causes A Scene
Even yet, we doubt she was overly pleased with her partner following the performance. Despite this, the two are two-time world champions and have achieved great success in their respective sports.
Rugby Is A Brutal Sport
As difficult as it may be for those who are unfamiliar with the sport to believe, the United States does have a national rugby squad. Take a peek at this photo of a championship match between the women’s teams of the United States and England to see for yourself. England won, but one of their players had her panties yanked down by someone who appeared to be on her own team during the game.
Rugby Is A Brutal Sport
Fortunately, the team came out on top, and Sarah Hunter, one of the players, laughed about it on Twitter after the game, calling out the teammate who had tugged her pants down.
What Are Friends For?
The last thing you want is for a mistake to detract from your post-game win picture. But after Middlesbrough defeated Sunderland in 2016, that is precisely what took place. Adam Clayton, their midfielder, made a small error just before the photographer took this picture. Fortunately, we can thank his companion to his right for pointing out what was happening at this precise moment in time.
What Are Friends For?
Unfortunately for Clayton, his friend did not warn him beforehand; instead, he simply pointed and laughed as the photo was being taken. Overall though, it made for a funny picture.
When You’re An Athlete Someone Is Always Watching
Jenifer Benitez, a Spanish diver, was having a very ordinary Olympics in 2008 before her blunder. She was coming off a dive and attempted to change her swimwear, which would typically be OK. There was, however, a camera above her that caught a short slide. It didn’t last long, but it was noticeable enough for people to notice and eventually put it online, where we still talk about it now.
When You’re An Athlete Someone Is Always Watching
The fact that she didn’t move forward after this dive, however, might be the worst aspect. If not fully worth it, at least that would have made the whole thing more tolerable.
An Incident That Will Live In Infamy
If you’re unfamiliar with this picture, it shows soccer player Paul Scholes sprawled on the field following an attempted slide tackle. The majority of people are probably very familiar with this picture. Even though it occurred in the 1990s, the majority of soccer fans are still somewhat familiar with the image. Scholes doesn’t seem to have realized that something was sticking out of his shorts in the picture.
An Incident That Will Live In Infamy
But we bet he wishes he could get this one back. Nevertheless, he is now a very prosperous coach and owner, so it didn’t actually have a big impact on his career.
Putting Your Best Foot Forward During Tryouts
Chris Jones was competing in the 40-yard sprint at the NFL Combine when he unexpectedly offered NFL scouts and spectators a little more than they had anticipated. He dropped to the ground and scurried for cover after winning the race, but the harm had already been done. For those who are unfamiliar, the combine is essentially a test for prospective players hoping to be selected in the NFL draft.
Putting Your Best Foot Forward During Tryouts
It’s critical that you perform well because your performance will determine whether or not your contract will ultimately be worth millions of dollars. Fortunately for Jones, despite the mistake, he still managed to score nicely.
For The Commonwealth
If you are unfamiliar with the Commonwealth Games, consider them to be somewhat similar to the Olympics in that only nations affiliated with the former British Empire are invited to participate. Anyway, the cameras caught this image of a dancer during one of the opening ceremonies of the games before she could hide behind some towels. However, once it was all over, she handled the whole situation with grace.
For The Commonwealth
She later tweeted, “Last night I was really bummed… BUTT that’s all BEHIND me now,” adding that people should keep in mind “the camera adds 5kgs.” Actually, that’s sort of amusing.
Getting More Than You Expected
Many of the images in this list were probably merely taken by chance. Most of the photographers who took these pictures were probably just taking random shots when they happened to notice some players with their pants down. But of all of them, this one seems to be the most arbitrary. When Huddersfield Town of England’s soccer league was playing Bournemouth in 2018, the camera turned to capture a picture of the team’s manager.
Getting More Than You Expected
They got their shot, plus a little more. It appeared like one of the bench players had picked this moment to readjust their shorts, inadvertently flashing whoever was watching the game.
A WWE-Sized Gaffe
We are somewhat surprised by the lack of nudity in the WWE. By this, we mean that the sport aggressively pursues anything it believes would arouse intrigue and drama. Additionally, while there have been a few instances of scripted nudity, it hasn’t actually been extremely common, which makes this occurrence stand out even more. During a match, Daniel Bryan’s tights were pulled up, exposing his underwear.
A WWE-Sized Gaffe
Both spectators and viewers at home were visibly astonished, but perhaps no one was more so than the referee in this picture, who has a wonderful expression on his face.
Trying To Hold In The Pain
With a name like Billy Burns, you just know you’re going to be on tape for all to see sooner or later. In all seriousness, this was an awful occurrence that occurred during a rugby match between the Penrith Panthers and the North Queensland Cowboys. Burns had just been tackled when he rolled over, and this scene was captured by the cameras. It also resulted in a penalty against his team (assuming the tackle rather than the exposure).
Trying To Hold In The Pain
Burn’s crew eventually prevailed, though. The wardrobe mishap that occurred toward the start of the game, however, was all that the majority of fans could speak about, according to fresh sites.
What’s Going On Guys?
What is the situation with Rugby? Is it really that difficult to tell who your teammates are when you’re buried? During a match in 2020, rugby player Josh Eden-Whaitiri had his pants yanked down by a teammate, and sports photographers captured this image. It’s evident that his own teammate is trying to bring him down, while he merely appears to be trying to figure out what’s going on.
What’s Going On Guys?
It’s also not just one person. His teammate on the right side of the photograph has his hands on his pants as well, despite the fact that he appears to be on the opposite side of the action.
The Show Must Go on
Even while watching indoor lacrosse can be entertaining, the majority of people have never heard of it, and even fewer undoubtedly realize that it includes cheerleaders. That all changed, though, for a split second, when a cheerleading routine during a match between the Buffalo Bandits and the Calgary Roughnecks didn’t go as planned. One of the cheerleaders managed to have her garment pulled over her head throughout the act.
The Show Must Go on
She didn’t let it bother her, instead continuing to perform her routine in time with the rest of the squad. She also managed to draw a little more attention to the sport on her own.