Olympic volleyball players get new uniforms to prevent voyeurs

Sarina Koga of Team Japan with team mates at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Arena on 31 July, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan (Getty Images)

Japanese athletes competing at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer will wear uniforms made from an innovative new fabric designed to stop illicit photography.

Sportswear brand Mizuno developed the material following complaints from athletes that infrared camera images of their bodies had been shared on social media with explicit captions.

At next month’s Olympics, which officially begin on 26 July, the Japanese women’s athletics, table tennis and volleyball teams will wear uniforms that incorporate the fabric.

“In recent years, female athletes at competition venues and other locations are increasingly the victim of hidden photography and filming taken for illicit purposes, the images and videos of which are then disseminated over the internet,” Mizuno wrote in a post introducing the fabric.

“Recently, in addition to visible light cameras, oinfrared cameras are also being used, and athletes are the victim of photographs that reveal images of their underwear and body underneath their uniforms.”

Mizuno launched a research and development project to specifically address the issue, while also maintaining the material quality necessary for high-performance sporting events.

The resulting fabric is able to block both visible and infrared light, which Mizuno said would “protect athletes and allow them to focus on their competition”.

Japanese firms have a history of developing products designed to prevent voyeurs from taking illicit photos.

All mobile phones with built-in cameras that are sold in Japan feature an irremovable shutter sound that plays when a photo is taken. The sound also plays when someone takes a screenshot on their device, even if it is on mute.

Despite these measures, Japan saw more than 5,000 arrests for camera voyeurism in 2021 – up from 1,930 a decade before – according to figures from the country’s National Police Agency (NPA).