male gymnasts with tattoos

A history by zhoxxyy.

15 YEARS AGO, THERE WERE NO GYMNASTS WITH TATTOOS COMPETING. WHAT DO YOU THINK CAUSED A SHIFT IN THE PERCEPTION OF TATTOS IN THE 2010s?

Bart Deurloo (NED) 

If I remember correctly, Marcel Nguyen was the first to compete with very visible tattoos. I was second and right after me, it was Casimir. We were the first ones to roll up our sleeves (so to speak) at a major competition.

… After Marcel secured a silver medal at the Olympics, many athletes started thinking “if he can achieve Olympic success with his arm adorned in ink, it must be permissible.” This prompted a substantial shift within the sport. Kind of proud to be one of the first gymnasts who played a role in such a major shift in the sport.

Taboos & Tattoos in Men’s Gymnastics

Four elite gymnasts talk about tattoos in men’s gymnastics: challenging old taboos and reshaping perceptions of athletes in the sport.

Marcel Nguyen (GER) at the 2012 Olympic Games in London – Source NBC