Page 16 - aruba-today-20220121

A16 sports
Friday 21 January 2022

Ralph Lauren unveils Team USA's opening Olympic uniforms

By LEANNE ITALIE Associ- soon heading to China
ated Press while the omicron variant
NEW YORK (AP) — Team still poses challenges. The
USA's opening ceremony host country has severely
uniforms for the Beijing restricted spectators and
Olympics include some taken other precautions.
sneaky new warming tech- "We test every other day
nology, along with a handy within the sport of bobsled
front pouch and a cinch and when we get to Bei-
waist on anoraks in navy jing, we'll be testing every
and white. single day," she said.
The jackets unveiled Thurs- The 33-year-old Evans said
day by official outfitter she'll miss the camarade-
Ralph Lauren include a rie of Olympic Village life,
smart, honeycomb-like exchanging Olympic pins,
fabric layer built in that meeting fellow athletes
expands or contracts in from all over the world and
response to temperature attending events in other
changes — all without the sports.
use of a battery or wired "This Olympic Village life will
technology. be a lot different than my
The assist by a company previous Olympic Games.
called Skyscrape follows ous looks for the Tokyo Sum- bronze medalist at Sochi modeled for media at the I know that, you know,
battery-powered cooling mer Olympics and the Py- and an alternate this time Polo Ralph Lauren store in with the COVID restrictions,
and heating tech the com- eongchang Winter Games. around, was pleased with Soho downtown. there won't be as much in-
pany used for some previ- Bobsledder Aja Evans, a the new gear that she "This is my favorite look," teracting and mingling or
said the three-time Olym- even going to other events.
pian, who didn't medal at That's going to be a bit dis-
the 2018 Pyeongchang appointing and unfortu-
Games. "It feels good and nate. But the fact that the
can go from indoor to out- Olympic Games are going
door." on is a blessing," she said.
Female athletes will parade Evans, from the south side
Feb. 4 at the start of the of Chicago, grew up in
games in China wearing track and field with Olym-
red boots and red fleece pic hopes. At the urging
pants with predominantly of a college coach, she
navy jackets. The men's switched to bobsled after
looks are mostly white. Both graduation. Though she
will be wearing navy knit lives in Atlanta, she returns
beanies, and both get the to Chicago often to en-
large bonus pouch on the courage other kids like her
front of their jackets to go to reach for their dreams.
with roomy side pockets Vonetta Flowers is another
and graphic touches on reason Evans turned to
sleeves. bobsled. At the 2002 Winter
Ralph Lauren went with Olympics, Flowers and driv-
navy for their gloves, and er Jill Bakken won the gold
all athletes will be provided medal in the two-woman
with masks to help guard event. Flowers became
against COVID-19. Team the first African American
USA's paralympians will re- woman to win a gold med-
ceive the same gear. The al in the Winter Olympics.
uniforms were made in the "My journey through sports
U.S. The team's closing cer- has shown me that my pur-
emony looks in a buffalo pose is to help continue to
plaid design were unveiled inspire young women and
in October. children," said Evans, who is
Evans, who competes in one of many African Amer-
two-person bobsled, wasn't ican athletes now in the
particularly nervous about sport. q