Olympic Marathon: The Women

Last night, I watched as Constantina Tomescu-Dita won the Olympic Marathon. She's 38-years-old and the mother of a teenage son named Raphael. Seeing her run, arms held high and working hard, looking as if she was working through some serious discomfort and only smiling on her fourth victory lap, I was inspired (38!), I was moved (she almost passed out from heatstroke in the last Olympic marathon), I cheered (she made it!). But I couldn't help but wonder: Why was she, along with most of her competitors, running in a bikini?