Made In China: Olympic Uniforms Revealed!

The Chinese economy is growing like crazy. A new skyscrapers seems to pop up everyday. They are so successful and yet so disliked by some around the world for all the issues hanging over the country.

It's tough not to like their uniforms though. The Chinese Federation went with a pretty straight forward look. They combined maroon and yellow, the nation's primary colors, for the historic Olympic Games to be hosted on their soil.

For the Chinese, hosting the Olympic Games is intended to demonstrate to the Chinese people that they have officially arrived as a super power.

China needs Nike, because their past history of Olympic uniforms border on uninspiring and lackluster. At the 2004 Olympics, Liu Xiang won China's only gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles. The uniform he sported in the final is simply unremarkable on any level. A major requirement of being a super power means being admired by the world, and the Olympic Games is the time to look the part to the rest of the world.

In order to deliver on the big day, China tapped Nike to design uniforms for the Chinese track and field athletes. The uniforms include all the latest bells and whistles in running apparel.

The new uniform design is intended to lift and reduce drag, wash without wrinkles, and all the other fine features intended to win gold through a better mousetrap. The Chinese athletes will certainly appreciate the big bucks poured into their development.

Mark Parker, Nike President and CEO, and 22 Chinese Federations unveiled their uniform collections in front of 500 invited guests and media.

"That is at the core of what Nike is all about,” said Nike President and CEO Mark Parker. “This is some of the best work we’ve ever done. From BMX to Track and Field, athletes like Liu Xiang inspire us to create our best and most innovative product.”

For China’s athletes, the experience means wearing uniforms that are steeped in the country’s heritage and combined with Nike’s performance innovations.

The running spike is designed for Chinese athletes participating the track and field events during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. It is designed to shave milliseconds off times which could mean the difference between gold and silver.

Sometimes things do not turn out as originally planned. That is probably the case with the outfits that the Chinese athletes are slated to wear at the Opening Ceremony.

This uniform is awkward and features a little too much maroon and yellow for one outfit.


By Jay Hicks.