In an attempt to keep up with the times, the Miss Teen USA pageant is eliminating the swimsuit portion of it’s competition. Instead, the 51 contestants (from the 50 states plus D.C.) will be judged in athletic wear, which will replace the swimsuit portion of the competition. The move is a way to “celebrate women’s strength, confidence and beauty,” Paula Shugart, Miss Universe president, first told USA Today. lthough the pageant organizers said that the swimsuit portion of the competition was a way to show off the athleticism of the competitors, not to push certain body standards, it has often been viewed as a means to objectify women. Miss Teen USA’s shift to athletic wear serves to highlight the importance of physical fitness for its younger participants, who are only 15-19 years old/Fortune. More here.

DFO: About time?