Gymnastics authorities say athletes will soon be allowed to wear head coverings in competitions for the first time

• Gymnasts will soon be allowed to wear head coverings during competition following a proposed rule change.
• The sport's governing body agreed that coverings should be allowed provided they meet safety requirements.
• At the Olympics, German gymnasts wore full body suits to protest against the sexualization of the sport.

Gymnasts will soon have the option of wearing head coverings while they compete after the sport's governing body suggested a rule change.

The International Gymnastics Federation Executive Committee, which governs the sport worldwide, met via video conference last week where they discussed the topic. At the meeting it was agreed head coverings should be permissible provided they meet certain requirements.

The committee stipulated that the covering must be tight fitting around the head and leave the athlete's face fully exposed. It must also not cause any safety risk while the athlete is performing and must be the same color as the athlete's competition attire.

A proposal will be introduced at the next committee meeting where it is expected to be passed.

The EC also agreed that athletes wanting to wear head covers must be allowed to do so as long as the covering respects safety conditions and clothing requirements," the FIG said in a statement.

"A proposal to this effect will be introduced in the Advertising rules for clothing and their appendices, which are set to be approved at the next EC meeting."

"To be permitted, the head covering will most notably have to be tight fitting around the head and leave the athlete's face fully exposed, so that it causes no safety risk while the athlete is performing. It will also have to be the same color as the competition attire," it continued.

The move is the latest to modernize dress codes in gymnastics, and comes just months after German athletes wore full bodysuits in competition for the first time.

At the Tokyo Olympics, the German women's artistic gymnastics team wore full-length unitards in a protest against the sexualization of the sport.

Gymnast Sarah Voss, who led the stance alongside her Olympic team members Elisabeth Seitz, Kim Bui, and Pauline Schaefer, told the BBC in April that the bodysuits could help gymnasts feel more comfortable, both in competition and during practice.

She also said she hoped she could become a role model for younger women looking for ways to feel more comfortable continuing a career in gymnastics.

"Some girls quit this beautiful sport, so that is why this is a great option for everyone to stay in the sport they love and don't think about anything else about their body, just about their performance," she said.