Complex sentence: Female participants were allowed to register for the first time, albeit the stipulation of only being able to pose in bathing suits; whether women should be allowed to compete in bikinis was a matter of excited discussion, leading to a "bikini controversy".
Split into simpler sentences: Female participants were allowed to register for the first time, albeit with the stipulation of only being able to pose in bathing suits. Whether women should be allowed to compete in bikinis was a matter of excited discussion, leading to a "bikini controversy".