141 replies to this topic

[Ms Lulu]

The Australian Beach Volleyball Team

[Rickster]

It looked ridiculous, but I figured they needed to display their names and numbers and didn't have shirts that did that. So this was their only choice.

[WhitneyWhit]

When did leotards get so sparkly? Some of those teams out-sparkled the rhythmic gymnasts.

[Dezdemona]

The female swimmers are wearing suits with shorts. Not only do they look weird but every time I see them I can't help thinking they'd be really uncomfortable to swim in.

[Rickster]

The female swimmers are wearing suits with shorts. Not only do they look weird but every time I see them I can't help thinking they'd be really uncomfortable to swim in.

well, it's a step back from the full body plasticized suits the women (and men) were wearing a couple of years ago and were then banned.

[areed]

the swimsuits with shorts reduce drag - that extra .1 second might just get you a medal. Worth the sacrifice! The men wear them to the knee these days, too.

(edited for typos)

Edited by areed, Jul 30, 2012 @ 2:20 PM.

[Muffyn]

I like the women's swimsuits. They're built for speed. Also, having worn one, they are more comfortable than they look. No problems with riding up.

Whoever chose the dark blue leotards for the women's gymnastic team didn't think enough about chalk. After coming off the uneven parallel bars, there was some all-too-noticeable chalk on the crotch action. No graceful way to brush the chalk of your pubic bone with cameras on you.

[selkie]

Wish I could get a better picture of the shooting vest thing one of the South Korean archers was wearing yesterday because I suspect she's sponsored in part by Hello Kitty when Olympic sponsor uniform rules aren't in effect.

[catray]

Can we talk about why the US is wearing neon green shoes as part of their medal podium outfits? I mean, I love a bright colored shoe but I'm not really sure what neon green has to do with the US.

Edited by catray, Jul 30, 2012 @ 5:02 PM.

[Forgetful Jones]

And why are the Americans wearing grey jackets? Not only does it have nothing to do with American colours, they look totally blah and terrible.

Actually, I think American teams usually have terribly boring outfits in most sports. Would it kill to put some tasteful stars and stripes on things?

ETA: The Italian swim team's warm up suits are good example of how you can do subdued/neutrals and still look great. There's nothing about the colours that says "Italy!" but they're really flattering and classy. I want a set, but they look too nice to sweat in. :) (Well, maybe that in itself says "Italy!")

Edited by Forgetful Jones, Jul 30, 2012 @ 5:14 PM.

[Raachel2008]

I love everything the Japan team is wearing. Their blue tracksuit is to die for with that old school feeling. Here. It's the 2012 version of Russia's uniforms four years ago with the imperial eagles: the kind of thing I would wearr if it was not another country - I loooved the Russian uniforms in Beijing.

Edited by Raachel2008, Jul 30, 2012 @ 6:20 PM.

[Haveahabit]

This time around, Russia opted for ghastly.

[kenyaj]

I actually really like the gray USA podium outfits. You can never go wrong with navy and grey in my eyes, and the neon bright tennis shoes stands out and make it interesting. But if we're talking hate for Team USA uniforms, I have to say the medal podium outfits for the archers and shooters is horrid. Gray may not have anything to do with the USA, but at least it's neutral and unoffensive. No one will ever be able to explain to me why the archers and shooters are wearing those fugly rust colored jackets. Dreadful.

Also dreadful? The back of the USA Men's Basketball team's shorts. The blue ones aren't terrible, but the white ones are awful. WTF, Nike?

Finally, I can't even deal with Team Russia in these outfits. They're even worse in HD.

ETA: Glad I'm not the only one who hates Russia's uniforms!

Edited by kenyaj, Jul 30, 2012 @ 6:03 PM.

[kimkar]

What's up with all of the white swim caps with that streak of color on the back in swimming? A Canadian swimmer turned around the other night and it looked like someone bashed the back of their head in. Not attractive.

[Raachel2008]

Oh, yeah. Team Russian outfits are fugly. How can you go from the beauty that was Beijing to that?

Edited by Raachel2008, Jul 30, 2012 @ 6:18 PM.

[catray]

I actually really like the gray USA podium outfits. You can never go wrong with navy and grey in my eyes, and the neon bright tennis shoes stands out and make it interesting.

Same here. I like the gray as a neutral and don't even mind the shoes so much (definitely like the pop of color, though not totally sold the neon green).

No one will ever be able to explain to me why the archers and shooters are wearing those fugly rust colored jackets. Dreadful.

Thank you! These are truly hideous! I gasped when I saw Kim Rhode. I am guessing they thought it was a good color because it reflects the hunting aspects of the sport?

[JodithGrace]

I thought that the Russians have displayed that red and white hideous pattern (or one very similar) before..if it wasn't in Beijing, was it in the past Winter games?

ETA: yes it was in the Vancouver games. I guess they have a Winter and a Summer version.

Edited by JodithGrace, Jul 30, 2012 @ 6:37 PM.

[selkie]

What's up with all of the white swim caps with that streak of color on the back in swimming?

It's the Speedo 'hair management system' cap, and the white with blue trim is one of the few color schemes they have for that.

In other swimming notes, I'm glad to see some different colors in swimsuits this year other than the same old black/navy and niche market Australian green.

[stafford]

Thank goodness the women's beach volleyball "uniform" rules have been changed so they can wear tshirts and shorts/pants...or so I thought untill I saw Misty May & the other one wearing long sleeved tshirts over sheer bras & you got an even better view of their nipples. I'm not ashamed of the female body but everything they do seems to heighten the sexuality of the sport. I know they are trying to get the sport to become more popular but give it a rest!

[superpole2000]

I prefer the indoor volleyball uniforms to the beach volleyball skimpy bikinis. Sometimes less is less. I think nearly every indoor volleyball player looks gorgeous, but the beach players just look like they are trying too hard.

[selkie]

Some good pictures of the early days of competition. Yuanhui Fu's dragon hat is particularly awesome.

[Mama Tiger]

I saw a bit of a women's water polo game today, and the women's bathing suits come up to their neck both front and back, but then the bottom is practically a thong -- their entire backsides are hanging out. How can that be comfortable, swimming for an hour with your bare butt hanging out and your suit crawling up your butt crack -- not to mention in water polo where one announcer assured us that "the women are so used to being pinched and poked and whacked that they don't even feel it any more." WTF? Those suits just look downright painfully uncomfortable to me. Does anybody know enough about water polo to explain why their suits are designed that way?

ETA:

They do that so the suits are harder to grab. With a normal suit, it is easier to grab and hold under water.

They design the suits to lessen the opportunity for intentional drowning? Good Lord.

Edited by Mama Tiger, Jul 31, 2012 @ 12:12 AM.

[trojanchick99]

They do that so the suits are harder to grab. With a normal suit, it is easier to grab and hold under water.

[Bentley]

I like when the designers steer the American gear more towards the navy side of blue. Royal blue just looks tacky to me, so I didn't like our gymnastics teams' outfits, although I did think the shiny, almost patent vinyl-looking detailing was interesting and really caught the light.

I also liked some of the gray swimsuits I saw tonight. Made a nice change.

Although I don't really care for neon yellow, I have to admit, a neon yellow swim cap sure made it easy to track that one female Australian swimmer (Seebohm?) in the water.

[Ms Lulu]

I like when the designers steer the American gear more towards the navy side of blue. Royal blue just looks tacky to me,

Especially in large quantities.

Although I don't really care for neon yellow, I have to admit, a neon yellow swim cap sure made it easy to track that one female Australian swimmer (Seebohm?) in the water.

Agreed. I saw one woman swimming in a neon pink cap yesterday. Russian perhaps?

[TraceyBee]

They design the suits to lessen the opportunity for intentional drowning? Good Lord.

Yep, that's water polo. Organized gang warfare in the water.

I noticed that the female gymnasts aren't glitter-izing their faces and hair this year. I rarely watch gymnastics except during the Olympics, and I'm glad to see that fad seems to have died. Leave the glitter where it belongs - on the synchronized swimmers!

I love the bright orange the Dutch athletes wear. Makes them very easy to spot on the tv.

[selkie]

I'm pretty sure the pink cap was Russian Yuila Effinova.

One of the swimwear companies makes a racing suit in bright pink for both men and women. A couple guys at the US Trials went with the pink to my amusement. Does make them very easy to pick out of the crowd.

[Good Queen Jane]

I'm sorry but the Ukrainian male gymnists deserved to finish out of the medals because of their warm-up outfits. They have been hanging out with the Russians too long.

[legaleagle44]

I love the bright orange the Dutch athletes wear. Makes them very easy to spot on the tv.

The Dutch would never think of wearing anything else. Although the Dutch flag is red, white, and blue, orange has long been the most well-known national color of the Netherlands, and it's considered the only color to wear in order to show one's national pride.

[WhitneyWhit]

Maybe someone here can help me with this. Why do all of Italy's national teams wear red white and blue? Why not red white and green?