The swimmer whose wardrobe malfunction was shown online has said she might sue organisers, while a total photography ban at a beach volleyball tournament in Japan has opened up a fresh debate about athlete protection.
At the annual Xing-Quan Dishui Lake Swim-Crossing Challenge, several three-quarter shots of a female swimmer accidentally exposing herself were displayed on an official tournament platform for more than 10,000 users for over an hour.
The victim, Ms Chen, said it had taken four days for the Shanghai Triathlon Club to call her, but there were still images of her online.
“I saw people asking under some videos if anyone had this photo, and others claiming they did. I hope to completely stop the dissemination of the photo,” she said in an interview.
Organisers have claimed the sheer number of contestants made monitoring every image impossible, a defence rejected by legal experts.
Li Weijie, a partner at Shanghai I-LAND Law Offices, said the incident violated privacy rights and organisers who had an “obligation to vet uploaded photos” could face administrative penalties.
