A couple of weeks ago, Philippine national team triathlete Kira Ellis made headlines by winning the 2025 Europe Triathlon Junior Cup in Riga, Latvia.
She bested 15 others with a total time of 1:05:07, a full ten seconds ahead the Belgian second placer.
[ALSO READ: Pinay triathlete Kira Ellis reflects after golden run in European Triathlon Junior Cup]
One photo though garnered more attention than others. And it was not because of the then-18-year-old's impressive feat.
It was her uniform.
That particular photo was a shot of Ellis running in the competition, but a significant number of comments were either pointing to, leering about, or making fun of discoloration in the lower part of her uniform.
The amount of attention the photo garnered prompted at least two female coaches in the triathlon community to explain the design of trisuits and the concept of chamois pads.
Ironman-certified coach Vanessa Agdon, also known as Pinaytri online, even made a couple of videos on the matter. One Sports spoke to the veteran athlete on the matter.
And since the topic was born from the comments section, we might as well answer the actual ones.
"Is it a period pad?"
The additional fabric situated by the crotch area is called a chamois pad (French pronunciation "sham-wah", American English "sha-mee"). It's also referred to as a chammy pad.
"Ito po 'yung lagi ninyong nakikitang nakaumbok sa mga trisuits. At dahil lightweight ang materiales nito, ito na ang gagamitin sa paglangoy, pagbisikleta, at pagtakbo," Agdon explained in one video.
The padding is thinner than those sewn in cycling shorts, but the goal is still the same—to provide comfort and support for athletes in their sensitive areas when competing in swim-bike-run events.
"Kasi syempre, 'pag nagba-bike or run, nagra-rub sa inner side ng thighs, right?" Agdon noted, "We don't want the chafing there."
And yes, men's trisuits also have this padding.
"Bakit naman kasi nag-suot ng ganun kaiksi?"
Pawie Fornea, a certified USA Triathlon coach and a former Philippine team athlete herself, shared a throwback photo wearing a swimsuit-style uniform herself.
"Elite athletes wear swimsuit-type trisuits for the aerodynamic efficiency, reduced drag in the water and on the bike," Fornea explained in a social media post.
"The one-piece design eliminates the need to change clothes between disciplines, saving valuable time and enhancing performance."
In these races with multiple elements: swimming, switching to bike, then moving on to running, having the greatest freedom in moving the legs is vital.
So it's also a matter of preference.
Fellow national triathletes Claire Adorna and Kim Mangrobang have also worn such a style.
And reducing drag in such events has been zeroed to the minute details, at least for some.
"They shave their legs, kasi even the hair on the legs will create drag. Kaya talaga 'yung hair on the arms, hair on the legs, they shave it kasi it will create drag," Agdon told One Sports.
"Bakit kaya kailangan pa ganyan ang suot?"
Fornea and Agdon noted that the trisuit, such those made by PSI Custom Philippines for the national athletes, are quick-drying and moisture-wicking.
"Sobrang nagda-dry siya agad. It really cools you. 'Yung tela, it does not absorb (moisture) agad-agad," Agdon shared. "Mamaya, two kilometers lang, dry na siya."
So the unfortunate photo, she believes, was just the culmination of unfortunate circumstances.
"I think it's the angle, 'yung angle ng sun, nag-stretch 'yung upper fabric na thinner... It's the photo and how they did not know what was there. Akala nila pawis or ihi," she noted.
"It would look better if it did not look like a sanitary napkin."
The topic actually prompted the outfitter to tweak the trisuit, changing the red chamois pad—also used in the prototype black suit—to a flesh-colored one to reduce the possibility of discoloration.
Agdon told One Sports she initially did not want to shine a spotlight on the matter. But she was approached by PSI Custom to show the changes and educate the general audience about it.
"So they sent me agad-agad 'yung new uniform ni Kira... tapos 'yung padding, they changed it to a flesh color," she explained. The videos prompted an online discussion about the concept of trisuits.
"I was surprised people were appreciating it, and then the comments were okay naman. So I decided not to take it down."
So was it the color choice?
That might come down to the length of the event.
Agdon pointed out how a full Ironman triathlon, consisting of a 3.8km swim, 180km bike, and a 42k run, allots around 17 hours for completion.
"Doing those longer distances, we opt to have black area sa part na 'yun para hindi kami conscious," she noted.
Olympic triathlon distances though are much shorter: 1.5km swim, 40km bike, and 10km run.
Ellis' course in the European Triathlon Junior Cup was even shorter: 750m swim, 22km bike consisting of four laps, and a 5.1km run from two laps.
"It happens very, very fast so they can allot a bit more color on that area," Agdon said of national athletes' uniforms, which use the flag's colors of yellow, red, and blue.
"The color highlighted it in the wrong way. A darker colorway could have wanted the unwanted attention."
For Agdon, the idea of adjusting just to avoid unwanted attention is questionable.
"This comment is like, 'it's your fault you were wearing a short skirt'", she posted as a response online. "WHY DO WE NEED TO MASK IT? Why kami lagi mag-aadjust? Why do we always have to 'hide' it away? Why do we always have to live in fear? Why do we always have to think what others think?? Why do I need to always erase the chammy area when I post photos?"
"Ang bottom line is, just respect the person," Agdon told One Sports. "Kasi tao 'yan eh. Kira is a really good person, really good kid. To bring gold pa to the country is amazing... She really loves what she does and hopefully, we can support her."
"Focus on the athlete’s performance, not the attire," Fornea added in her own post.
For athletes, how they look during competition is the least of their worries. They're not looking down at themselves.
They're looking ahead.