If you're a competitive swimmer in Japan, you'd better not dye your hair, wear an earring or get your fingernails painted — unless you want to get banned. For a lifetime.

The Japan Swimming Federation is cracking down on athletes who think they're rock stars. In addition, male and female swimmers are not supposed to sneak into each others' rooms.

It seems like whenever uniforms are involved, it's human to try and stand out — assert your own identity. Basketball players sometimes get heavily tattooed; Catholic schoolgirls often tweak their skirts.

The question is: Is it more important to play by the rules? Or be yourself? In Japan, at least, it seems that representing the country respectfully is the ideal… But who doesn't want to root for the rebel?

Japan Pours Cold Water On Fashionista Swimmers [Reuters]

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