London – With less than 100 days to go until the 2016 Rio Olympics, Adidas has
unveiled Team GB’s performance kit, which is on average 10 percent lighter
than the 2012 kit to help athletes “go further and faster”.
The kit was once again designed by Adidas creative director Stella
McCartney and features a new specially commissioned Coat of Arms as its new
logo, which aims to act as a unifying symbol across the two teams, Team GB
and Paralympics GB and multiple sports, contrasting a traditional icon with
a 21st Century look and feel.
The design was commissioned by Adidas and created by The College of Arms
and includes references to all four home nations and has been granted to
the British Olympic Association (BOA) and British Paralympic Association
(BPA) for use by the governing bodies from 2016.
Commenting on the coat of arms, McCartney, said: “The goal for Rio 2016
was to rewrite the rules of performance and design for athletes, allowing
them to look and feel like champions on and off the field. The inspiration
behind the design was this idea of contrasting British tradition with a
modern attitude.
“The new Coat Of Arms, specially commissioned for this project, and
traditional Union Flag hues sit alongside bold textures and modern
silhouettes to create a strong identity and make the athletes feel like a
team.”
Alongside the coat of arms, the team kit features the red, blue and
white colours of the Union Flag, which features as an abstract starburst
graphic in the background of many pieces, while on others it has been
badged more traditionally on the hip. Adidas says that this design was to
create an “imposing look” that would stand out on the highest sporting
stage.
Aesthetics aside, the Team GB kit represents the most technical advances
in clothing that they can offer athletes for the Olympics, with Adidas
claiming that the fabric is on average 10 percent lighter than 2012 to help
the athletes “go further and faster,” thanks to the new generation of
lightweight, breathable synthetic Adizero fabric.
In addition, other garments include Adidas Climachill technology, a
specially-developed material which conducts heat and sweat away from the
body to ensure athletes stay dry, comfortable and can perform at their
best, to combat Rio’s hot and humid summer climate. Whilst footwear for the
track, road and podium will feature the unrivalled energy return of Adidas
Boost technology.
Adidas UK brand director, Barry Moore, added: “Athletes are at the heart
of everything we do at Adidas. We’ve worked with our Creative Director
Stella McCartney and top British athletes to create a kit that is not only
lighter than at 2012 but also one that includes our CLIMA technology –
innovations that will help Team GB and ParalympicsGB in their pursuit for
medals in Rio.”
The sportswear giant conducted extensive consultations with many of the
British athletes including Olympic medalists Jessica Ennis-Hill, Tom Daley
and Laura Trott, who all took part in the two-year design process to test
the kit.
2012 Olympic Gold Medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill said: “I’ve really
enjoyed being a part of the creative process with Stella McCartney and
Adidas. It’s an amazing design and I think it will give British athletes a
massive sense of pride and give us an edge in Rio.”
Bill Sweeney, BOA CEO added: “Adidas have created yet another iconic
look for Team GB. The detail that has gone into the creation of the huge
range of technical and leisure products enables us to go to Rio as the
best-prepared team, with the perfect fusion of performance with style. Its
eye-catching design means our fans will easily be able to pick out their
favourite stars.”
The Adidas Team GB replica apparel and fan-wear will be available from
May 1 at www.adidas.co.uk and sports retailers.
Images: Adidas