In reply to fred99:
This has come up before, think it was the Chinese who were fined some years ago because their "bottoms" weren't revealing enough.
Basically, IIRC the sport was "founded" when the "appeal" was seeing fit, honed bodies sprawling in the sand and the skimpiness was to ensure/bolster that appeal. However, the sport still seems to be living in the age of the dinosaurs and what might have been acceptable then (although even that is questionable) is certainly unacceptable blatant sexism now.
The fact that the sport came from the beach where similarly scantily clad people may or may not be visible is irrelevant. It is the imposition of such rules, rather than athletes voluntarily deciding to dress like that.
To not be sexist, surely the men's apparel rules should be similarly revealing - from the relevant document this is obviously not the case...
I. Men’s tank top / Women’s top style The style of the tank tops / tops must be in accordance with the graphs shown. The men’s tank tops must be sleeveless and close fitting, and respect the space for the required brandings. The women’s tops (a midriff design) must be close fitting as well, with deep cutaway armholes on the back, always respecting the space for the required brandings. T-shirts that are worn under the team’s official tank top are not allowed.
and...
II. Men’s shorts / Women’s bikini bottoms style Team members must wear identical shorts/bikini bottoms. Male athletes must wear shorts as per the enclosed graph. The players’ shorts, if not too baggy, can be longer but must remain 10 centimetres above the kneecap. Female athletes must wear bikini bottoms that are in accordance with the enclosed graph, with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg. The side width must be of a maximum of 10 centimetres.
If the style of the men's apparel is not impacting their ability to perform, then I can see no reason why similar apparel for the women would be any different.
I applaud the Norwegian team's position and hopefully this will end up with the removal of this blatant bit of sexism.