Taekwondo players will be permitted to wear different coloured trousers at the Rio 2016 Games for the first time, the sport's world governing body has announced.
The trousers will be representative of the athletes’ national team colour, with National Associations allowed to pick one colour, including white, for all their competitors to wear.
Their choice must be decided be submitted to the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) by April 30.
The idea was developed by the WTF Technical Committee, a body tasked with trying to find innovative ways for the sport to evolve and modernise.
It is hoped the move will help to deliver a more spectator friendly experience at Rio 2016, where taekwondo will be featured on the sport programme for the fifth consecutive Olympic Games.
The WTF also claim the move would help fans in both the venue and watching on televisions at home to easily identify athletes.
“With less than five months until the opening of the Olympic Games, excitement is really building ahead of what we hope will be taekwondo’s most exciting Games yet,” said Chungwon Choue, WTF President on announcing the change.
“The introduction of coloured pants for athletes will transform the look of competition, adding to the vibrant, carnival atmosphere in Rio, and will give athletes an even greater sense of national pride as they compete for their countries.
“This is one of many innovations the WTF has introduced to bring more excitement, action and drama to the taekwondo competitions at Rio 2016.
“London 2012 was a landmark moment for our sport, but we want to build on that momentum and deliver an unforgettable experience for athletes and fans in Rio.
“This means delivering the optimum conditions for our elite athletes to be able to compete at their best, providing fair and transparent competitions and ensuring that fans are entertained before, during and after competitions.”
In February, United World Wrestling (UWW) made a similar move by no longer insisting that athletes would have to wear traditional red and blue uniforms.
The move was designed to help modernise the sport and help fans better identify who is who, with National Federations allowed to use their home colours with light and dark versions of competition gear.
The WTF Technical Committee has already helped to implement instant replay system and the introduction of impact sensors in the body and head protectors, with the latter due to be a first at Rio 2016.
While they have moved to implement coloured trousers, the WTF have also stated they are continuing to work alongside Rio 2016 to develop engagement with fans inside and outside the Carioca Arena 3 venue.
They have revealed they are looking to conduct taekwondo and Para-taekwondo demonstrations between sessions, as well as looking at ways of using Brazil’s culture to keep fans engaged during breaks in play.
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