Triathlete Emma Pallant-Brown criticized for menstrual blood seen in race photo

A female triathlete responded with a stunning response to a man who called a race photo “unflattering” because of a menstrual blood stain on her suit.

British athlete Emma Pallant-Brown placed fourth in the PTO European Open held in Ibiza on May 6, but when she posted a photo on Instagram, a certain group of followers couldn’t get past the blood.

The male triathlete suggested that the photo should have been cropped to hide it.

“Not the most flattering photo of Em Pallant – of course you can crop it a little better,” he wrote in a comment.

The athlete who won 18 Half Ironman championships, was on the podium 33 times and won silver at the world championships reacted epicly.

“Thank you for your concern, but definitely something I’m not ashamed to talk about because that’s the reality of women in sports,” Pallant-Brown replied.

She added that while she had hoped that the heaviest day of her period would not fall on racing days, it would be impractical to assume that it would never happen.

Recognizing that she did not have to explain the natural phenomenon to her male followers, she explained that the menstrual product was not enough for races of more than three hours.

“Just like someone can have intestinal problems during a race, I have to come to terms with it and give what I have and not be afraid to talk to women who have the same problem,” she wrote.

In a follow-up post about the fanfare generated by the initial photo, she went into detail about her racing suit and why she was forced to speak out after the backlash.

“This is a true women’s sport and the more barriers we can overcome, the better,” she wrote, adding that she would consider giving menstrual cups “one more chance” after receiving good advice.

When asked about why she chose to race in her swimsuit, she revealed that she had previously overheated and passed out during hot races, which was a big risk during her period when her body temperature was higher.

Her cycling position also contributed to the blood being visible, she said.

“I have a full length suit for the tougher races in dark colors, but we experimented with light colors for a cooling effect. It’s dark downstairs and behind, but my bike’s position has changed and now I ride forward more,” she explained.

Dousing yourself with water at aid stations usually “worked”, but “if it doesn’t, you’ll end up with one of these photos.”

The sentence she is supposed to edit erroneously meant “there’s something wrong with this,” she said.

“Nothing really wrong. It’s natural and due to nutrition issues as an endurance runner growing up and not getting my period, I now see the beauty in it,” she wrote.

“So if you have a photo like this, keep it, cherish it, remember how you performed on a difficult day, because one day you might just be able to help someone with it.”

Originally published as Triathlete reacts to race photo that calls menstrual blood ‘unflattering’