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"We Can Be Attractive Girls And Still Play Sport"
Brandi Chastain's famous shirt-shedding celebration, after scoring the penalty which won the 1999 Women's World Cup Final for Team USA, will always be regarded as one of the most powerful visual statements in the history of women's soccer, and, indeed, women's sport in general.
In casting her inhibitions to the wind in the ecstasy of the moment, the unforgettable sight of Chastain's tanned and toned torso spoke volumes on so many fronts.
The combination of her athleticism, femininity, charisma and sex appeal captured hearts as well as headlines, and helped force people to sit up and acknowledge that women's sport in general, at the elite level in particular, is deserving of respect and a far greater degree of recognition than had been afforded it to that point.
Brandi's lead was swiftly followed by women's sports stars the world over, to such an extent that only the prim and proper and the prudish nowadays find reason to object to the sight of a sports bra-clad athlete in peak physical condition, such as those celebrated in the Personalities section of the website, and the septet of soccer stars on display below:
The age of celebrity in which we live, allied to the "sex sells" marketing philosophy, has seen many of the world's foremost female sports stars promoting themselves and their code by taking part in modelling assignments, advertising campaigns and specially commissioned photo shoots.
A minority of these have gone beyond the boundaries of tastefulness and decency - the Matildas' 2000 calendar, for instance - thus casting the wholesome image of women's sport in a poor light.
By and large, however, the sight of a female sports star proudly showing off her finely honed physique remains a decidedly refreshing one, and an image to be admired and respected.
It reflects well on their self-confidence, their dedication and their desire to be the best they can be physically. That's why they are, first and foremost, highly talented athletes, which is how they should be regarded - the fact they happen to be drop-dead-gorgeous with it is a bonus!!
It's a situation which is best encapsulated by Australian international Amy Taylor's pertinent yet brutally honest statement ...
"We can be attractive girls
and still play sport"
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