The only word I can think of to describe this uniforms is HIDEOUS. I really would like to know what Nike was thinking. The "speedsuits" apparently take like .023 seconds off your time, but this isn't speedskating, runners don't wear full-body suits.
But here's my biggest problem: Why are they red? If these uniforms were blue, I'd probably love them. (I'd probably even be able to make my peace with white jerseys and blue shorts.) I understand it's "Red, White and Blue," but the lack of blue, which has been the U.S. track team's primary color for 20 years, is pretty glaring. Not to mention the fact that the darker color is much more aesthetically pleasing. (I now invite you all to take in that disturbing mental image of shot putters in red spandex.)
Some people who actually like the red said that the Americans "will be so much easier to spot now." How? Here's a quick rundown of other nations whose primary uniforms are dark blue. Great Britain. That's it. Now, let's go through all the teams whose national color is red. China. Spain. Switzerland. Japan. Denmark. (That's not even all of them.) And let's not forget that country located a little bit to the north. Whatever international competition the U.S. is in, Canada's always going to be there. So, I ask again...How is it easier to spot one of the 15 people wearing red instead of the only one wearing navy blue?
The worst part about the "London" is that since USA Track & Field only changes uniform designs for the Olympics, we're stuck with red uniforms for the next four years.
How do these compare to U.S. Olympic track uniforms through the years? Well, here's a look at every one from my lifetime:
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| 2008 Beijing |
I actually really like the "Beijing," which will still be the national team uniform for another month or so. They also had versions of this with red jerseys and white jerseys.
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| 2004 Athens |
The "Athens" wasn't great, but it wasn't bad, either. I don't like the way "USA" is written, and they didn't really pull of the white as well as they did on the women's uniforms, which had a blue strip across the top.
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| 2000 Sydney |
These are my favorite. I know there are a lot of people who don't like the "Sydney," but I'm not one of them. I like the light blue down the side (even if the USA on the leg was too big). My favorite part, though, is that the front was blue and the back was red.
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| 1996 Atlanta |
The Atlanta Games will always have a special place in my heart. Other than the ridiculously large white stripe on the side, there's nothing wrong with the "Atlanta." They were the perfect uniform for the mid-90s.
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| 1992 Barcelona |
Oh, Barcelona, where do I start? First, the good: this was the first one to utilize blue as the primary color. That's really all I've got on the "good" front. Otherwise, the "Barcelona" has all sorts of problems. Although, it was the early 90s, so these uniforms were, again, a sign of the times.
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| 1988 Seoul |
The "Seoul" isn't horrible. I actually do kind of like it. And this particular uniform wouldn't have worked in blue. But what's with the belt FloJo?
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| 1984 Los Angeles |
You want a lasting visual of sports in the early to mid-80s? Here it is. Again, the "LA" wouldn't work in blue. Not terrible and, but not that good either. The "LA" does get bonus points, though, for what Carl Lewis did while wearing it. Lasting question: Why is the "USA" on the front so big?
So, here are the rankings: 1. Sydney, 2. Beijing, 3. Seoul, 4. Atlanta, 5. Athens, 6. LA, 7. London, 8. Barcelona
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