Olympics: Columnist attacks 'chestless, manlike' competitors

Under attack: Female Olympians - such as Jessica Ennis have been criticised for having masculine bodies by Yuksel Aytug. Photo / AP

A Turkish newspaper columnist has been heavily criticised after writing an article which said the Olympic Games is destroying the female figure.

The piece - called Womanhood is dying at the Olympics' - was written by Yuksel Aytug and was published in the daily newspaper Sabah and on the paper's website.

However, it soon spread around the world by saying the Games was distorting women's bodies and that extra points should be given to female athletes based on how feminine they looked.

According to Hurriyet Daily News, he said: 'Broad-shouldered, flat-chested women with small hips; [they are] totally indistinguishable from men.

'Their breasts - the symbol of womanhood, motherhood - flattened into stubs as they were seen as mere hindrances to speed

'I am not even talking about female javelin throwers, shot-put athletes, weightlifters, wrestlers and boxers.'

He added that the appearance of many female Olympians was 'pathetic'.

Following the publication of the article, Mr Aytug was strongly criticised by people on Twitter and his own female colleagues.

He was accused of sexism and reducing the identity of women purely to appearance.

His name was trending worldwide on Twitter for a number of hours, with people outraged by his comments.

In his column, he also said the Olympic Games forced woman to look more like men so they could become successful.

One Turkish columnist, Banu Tuna, sarcastically asked Aytu? if he thought the term 'woman' meant just a collection of legs, hips and breasts.

She also suggested that he watch lingerie fashion shows instead of the Olympic Games.

Team GB's Zoe Smith, 18, faced abuse about her appearance before the Games began.

She was the subject of vile internet abuse after appearing on a documentary earlier this year, with anonymous Twitter trolls telling her she looks like a 'lesbian' and a 'bloke'.

The 18-year-old Londoner smashed a British record by lifting twice her body weight during the 58kg Weightlifting event at London 2012.

And she took the opportunity to slam the online bullies that have tried to sour her Olympic campaign.

She wrote: 'Most of the people that do think like this seem to be chauvinistic, pig-headed blokes who feel emasculated by the fact that we are stronger than them. Simple as that.'

She added that it was particularly 'sad' to see abuse from girls who labelled her 'weird' for her muscular physique.

'You'd think that young women around the same age as us would commend us,' she added.

- The Daily Mail