Olympic Uniform

Finally got my Olympic Uniform through on Monday and did a bit of a Fashion show for the family. As promised I have pictures of the event - I tried to get each different outfit. We havn't been given our Opening Ceremony uniform yet. Apparently the tradition is that we have to wait until we get into the village and there is some big secrecy beforehand over exactly what it will be like.

This is the NZ Olympic Committee issued uniform so doesn't include my racing suit or caps. I will be getting those hopefully in the next 1-2 weeks as they need to be branded etc.


So, first picture - Short sleeve tee and running shorts with jandals. You can sort of see the Silver Fern on my right side, going down the shirt, and the Olympic Rings with the fern above them top left of the shirt. All Items have been branded with the Olympic Rings and Fern as well as the Kapinua Manufacturer's brand. This is obviously the casual outfit and I'd probably live in this most of the time.












Hoodie - You can see three Chinese characters on the back which together read New Zealand, and although my hood is covering it, "New Zealand" is written above them in white - just in case people aren't sure where we come from! The Chinese characters are also used on the back of the tracksuit. I'm also wearing the casual shorts.













Tracksuit - You can see the fern better in this photograph. It was specially designed for the Olympic Team and incorporates some special elements of Maori and Chinese beliefs. There are 8 frongs on each side (the leaf things) because 8 is a lucky number in Maori and Chinese culture. The end of the fern where it curls a bit is supposed to be the beak of the Hokioi, a mythical bird that calls for people to be ready. For the purpose of the photograph I am wearing the cap and the socks. As much as I am a fan of wearing socks and jandals (or in this case sandals) I probably will not let myself embarrass the team by going out in public like this! And I will try to resist the temptation to wear the cap at an angle!

Formal Uniform - We have been issued with a formal skirt, black polo and blazer to wear to team functions in Beijing such as the photo, team welcome & flag bearer announcement and most probably our official media farewell in Auckland. The blazer has the rings and fern stitched into the front pocket as you can see, and the specially designed Olympic fern is on each of the buttons down the front.








The family said I looked a bit like an air stewardess with it on hence the photo to the left. I'm practicing signaling the exits! You may also notice that I am wearing odd shoes here - I was trying both out to see which one worked better. I still havn't made a decision so feedback would be appreciated.












Well, there you have it. My official Olympic uniform! It is so cool to have this stuff for real, finally! I look forward to being able to wear it all with pride and cant wait to spend 4 weeks in it! It is going to be so amazing to see this uniform being worn all around the village and I can't wait for my chance to wear it as I walk on poolside to represent my country. And hopefully I can be there to see it up on a podium!