On Friday night, South Africans eagerly awaited to see their star athletes at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games taking place in Paris.
The flag bearers for the occasion were sprinter Akani Simbine and artistic gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz.
While the warm-up kits, casual wear and tracksuits that they will be wearing in the Olympic Village and during medal presentations are bold, with green and gold predominantly featured, the opening ceremony outfits were a bit, subdued.
Each athlete wore a classic khaki blazer, with the women athletes wearing theirs with a white round-neck top paired with dark green baggy pants with yellow graphic details.
The men donned their blazers with white shirts and black pants.
While the outfits looked stylish under the flashing lights during the ceremony, it didn’t look all that comfortable in videos spotted on social media.
The shoulder pads seemed a bit over the top.
In an interview before the ceremony, Rooskrantz said that she really liked the outfit.
“It’s special. It’s unique. It’s a bit vibey. Us Gen-Z love that. I think it’s really special,” said the gymnast.
This year’s outfit is vastly different to what they wore at the 2020 Toyko Olympics opening ceremony.
The bold print of their outfits was a mixture of black and white animal prints with small details of the flag. The women wore matching sets while the men wore printed tops with khaki shorts. Because it was during the pandemic they each wore matching masks.
The outfits were designed by Mr Price Sport and they all wore Veldskoen Shoes with different coloured soles.
Swimmers Tatjana Schoeman, Erin Gallagher, Kaylene Corbett and Aimee Canny had fun getting dressed up in their Paris opening ceremony gear. In their video, the swimmers are seen transforming from their Maxed casual gear into their opening ceremony garbs.
View this post on Instagram
And in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympic Games, this is how Schoeman and co embraced the zebra inspired outfit.
View this post on Instagram
Have your say. Was Team SA’s opening ceremony gear a hit or miss?
IOL Lifestyle