Is it a prerequisite ?

No idea but Serena Williams doesn't fit the flat chested profile.

It might be that all the training burns fat, and makes more muscle, breast tissue is mostly fat.

Could be wrong, often am.

I've often commented on this to H. Gymnasts seem particularly prone to the ironing board shape. I did notice some of the ladies hockey team are better endowed.
I've always assumed it was down to their training programme but just MHO

BTW, speaking as someone with pracitally no very small bosoms, it hasn't actually made me an athlete

Never noticed.

However I think Dame Kelly Holmes said in an interview that she had become more curvy since she stopped training. I certainly have, in the wrong places though.

I also suspect many of the are just physically restrained.

Funny you should say that NanaandGrampy We were watching the women's Triathlon this afternoon and both my DH and I commented on the lack of bosom. Did they never have much or have they disappeared under their armpits. Mine do

I think phoenix is right building muscle burns fat and breasts have plenty of fat. Although I'm sure I read somewhere that professional athletes have some kind of surgery to reduce their bust. Not our Olympians though as I think they still have to be amateur don't they?

The low BMI would cause athletes to lose any fatty tissue. When I was in a gymnastics club we were all small and skinny and a lot later in menstruating.

That's the event that got me thinking BB !!

No bust, no bottom to speak of and no real waist definition.

Yes , I noticed the hockey girls were more womanly shaped as are the female golfers . Maybe it's just athletics, gymnastics etc ?

In the name of science I have just been studying the Womens Hockey team, varied and attractive range of sizes 10/10. First time I have got to see the penalties, been driving most of the day. Nicola Adams has the perfect figure (I am not going to say otherwise)

This may also be something peculiar to the long distance event, most of the cyclists and marathon runners are like matchsticks.

Maybe those who excel at certain disciplines will be of a similar physique . When I first tuned into the women's triathlon I thought it was the men's (true)

While I agree it's probably due to intense physical ecercise burning any fat, I also think it's self selective. If you've got big boobs you're simply unlikely to become an Olympic athlete. It's the same for ballet dancers too. Many with big boobs are rejected at the audition.

Sports bras work by squashing.

In the old days of the Soviet Union their gymnasts were kept on a very restricted diet and had so little body fat that puberty was delayed - hence flat chests. Of course breasts are mainly fat so any athlete whose body fat ratio is low won't have much to spare for breasts.

I think it could be the Lycra, as Bags said. Perhaps flattening their chests makes them more aerodynamic.

Please could someone explain why I have very small bosoms, but am rather over blessed I the bottom department?

It is a bit like this

www.google.co.uk/search?q=its+all+about+the+bass&oq=its&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j35i39j69i60j0l2j69i60.4874j0j4&client=tablet-android-pega&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Did you say on another thread, that you used to ride horses?

Wouldn't account for the lack of boobs though....

It might do jings - all that bouncing up and down on the horse could have shaken her boobies down into her bottom

There's that.

I always assumed it was something to do with hormones as women body builders have chests like men , no bust at all unless a boob job . Could it be that they produce more male hormones due to the excessive exercise so lose their female shape ? I am not being sexist just an observation !

There may be something in the horse riding theory too , they all seem to have ample bums .