Revealed: The reason Australia’s women’s water polo stars wear very revealing swimsuits at the Paris Olympics

Women’s water polo stars have been wearing extremely high-cut, skin-tight swimsuits at the Paris Olympics – and the look has nothing to do with fashion.

Australia’s Stingers team – who beat three-time defending champions USA in a dramatic penalty shoot out to reach the final against Spain – have donned high-riding costumes which resemble one-piece G-strings throughout the Games.

The swimsuits are specially designed to aid their flexibility in the water and avoid handing their rivals even the smallest advantage in matches.

Some players have opted to wear swimsuits two to three sizes smaller than what they’d usually wear in a bid to make it tougher for their opponents to get their hands under the edges.

As many players will testify, water polo is a brutal sport physically, with athletes calling on every muscle in their bodies and engaging in hard-fought clashes that can only be properly seen via an underwater camera.

In the process of treading water, swimming and throwing, players work all the major muscle groups.

Under the water – away from the eyes of the referee – punching, kicking and scratching is frequent as competitors grab hold of each other by any means possible.

It comes as the Stingers became the first Australian women’s side to reach the Olympic water polo final since the 2000 Games in Sydney. 

The costumes are also specially made so the stars’ rivals have nothing to grab onto when they clash in the extremely physical sport

Tilly Kearns (in the No.11 cap) and Sienna Hearn (in the No.8 cap) are seen celebrating after the Aussies made it through to the gold medal match against Spain

Bec Rippon’s squad are also guaranteed their first medal since winning bronze in 2012 at the London Games.

‘When we beat the US in that final in Sydney 2000, it was epic. I was a kid there watching, and it really inspired Australia [as a nation] and Australians to play water polo,’ Rippon said.

‘I was one of them … we have wanted to relive that and bring that back to Australia. 

‘We are really proud.’

Abby Andrews’ four goals in the third period transformed the game – and goalkeeper Gabriella Palm was also immense.

Her clutch moment in the shootout to deny US star Maddie Musselman sparked euphoric scenes in the La Defense Arena.

Spain – who are also unbeaten in Paris – beat the Netherlands 19-18 in another shoot-out game to set up a mouthwatering final.

Action begins at 11.35pm AEST on Saturday, August 10.