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A32 sports
Diahuebs 15 aPRiL 2021

Ralph Lauren unveils crisp white Team USA Olympic uniforms

shape. I tried to just be present where
I was.”

Jordyn Barratt, a Honolulu native
now living in San Diego, was also
on hand to show off the uniforms.
The skateboarder hoping to make the
Olympic team for the first time now
that her sport has been added said
“it's all starting to feel real in the last
month or so. It's feeling a lot more
real and a lot more stressful.”
The 22-year-old has nationals, a pro
tour stop and world championships
to go before the Olympics, with no
competition since November 2019.

“It's done great things for women's
skateboarding. It's a very male-dom-
inated sport,” Barratt, a park skate-
boarding specialist, said of the Olym-
pic nod to her field.

And Barratt is thrilled for the chance
to possibly head to Tokyo with her
childhood friend, fellow skateboard-
er, Olympic contender and 2019
world champion Heimana Reynolds,
a Honolulu native who moved to San
Diego in November 2019, before the
pandemic hit.

“I was probably like 8 or 9 years old
just seeing her at the skatepark and
we'd constantly just go skate to-
gether. We never really ever thought
that we'd be this far in skateboard-
( AP ) - With a crisp white graphic Ralph Lauren, which has been outfit- ren.com and in June at select Ralph ing. It's really cool that we went from
look and roomy pockets, the uni- ting Team USA since 2008, worked Lauren retail stores, select U.S. de- childhood skate buddies to traveling
forms to be worn by Team USA with Dow on a cotton pre-treatment partment stores and online at Tea- around the world competing, and
at the closing ceremony of the dyeing process that uses less water, mUSAShop.com. All revenue sup- now to this," said Reynolds, also 22
Tokyo Olympics were unveiled chemicals and energy than more tra- ports Team USA. and a park skateboarder.
Wednesday by official outfitter ditional methods. The process was
Ralph Lauren. used for a navy Polo shirt each athlete “We want our athletes to really be “She was probably like the first girl
will receive. ambassadors for American style, cul- skateboarder that I had seen,” he said.
The uniforms, along with Ralph Lau- ture and sportsmanship,” Lauren said “I was like, wow, this is really cool
ren-designed Olympic Village attire A leather alternative using plant- recently via Zoom from Manhattan. that there's girls out there skating.”
for the American athletes, had been based materials and agriculture bi- “We also understood that the message
ready to go when the Games were products free of synthetic plastics for the Olympics was about sustain- Reynolds, Barratt joked, was the
postponed last summer due to the was used for a patch on the closing ability, that this would be the most “goody goody kid” growing up.
pandemic. ceremony's white stretch denim pant, sustainable Olympics in history and a
which is made of U.S.-grown cotton. chance for the team to showcase in- Lauren noted the Olympics will be
“It seems like we're all go now," David And like the lightweight drawstring genuity around new ways of thinking the first time since the pandemic be-
Lauren, the company's chief brand- jacket, a striped red, white and blue about our environment.” gan that the "world has come back
ing and innovation officer, told The belt to be worn by the athletes is de- together again.” He called the Games
Associated Press ahead of the reveal. rived partially from recycled plastic Daryl Homer, a silver medalist in a “coming out party” with a “sense
“They had been designed, produced bottles. saber fencing at the 2016 Games, is of hope that we all need in our lives
and ready to roll.” hoping to make his third Olympic right now.”
The patches are already a keepsake appearance. He was one of three To-
The Games are now scheduled to of the historic Olympic delay: They kyo contenders to model the clos- Like other Olympic fans, Lauren is
open July 23 and end Aug. 8 as or- say “Team USA” with the year 2020 ing uniforms for the AP at the Polo disappointed to be missing out on
ganizers continue to figure out how printed in red. Ralph Lauren store in Manhattan's attending the Games in Tokyo. Or-
to hold them with the pandemic still SoHo district. ganizers have decided overseas spec-
raging and just 100 days to go. In the The zip jackets in white include navy tators will not be allowed. He has
meantime, Ralph Lauren is ready collars and hoods, and striped red, The Olympic delay, said the 30-year- attended opening ceremonies for
with opening and closing parade gear white and blue cuffs. An American old Homer, was tough at times, with Olympics past in Beijing, Vancouver,
for the more than 600 Team USA flag patch is on one arm and “USA” is a year off from competition. London and Atlanta.
athletes, those participating in the on the other, the latter also down one
Paralympics and Olympic-themed pant leg. The athletes will wear a clas- “I feel pretty prepared," he said. “I'm “It's one of the great experiences of
items for sale to the public. sic white Polo shirt, white sneakers just getting ready the best I can, given my life, to see all of these teams come
with a stripe design and navy masks the situation. I'm just happy for there together, to see the energy. It's like
Opening ceremony uniforms will be also made of American cotton. The to be a Games.” nothing you've ever seen before,” he
unveiled in July. uniforms were made in the United said. “When you're there in person,
States. Homer, living in Harlem during the it's electric.”
Lauren, the son of the fashion giant's pandemic, used his downtime to be
founder, said sustainability was top of The company's Olympic retail col- “a normal person and step outside There's a sense, he said, that “we're all
mind this Olympic go around. lection will be available for purchase of sports a little bit. I read, I went on one.”
beginning Wednesday on Ralphlau- walks, I ran, I tried to stay in good