Team Canada unveils athlete outfits for Milan-Cortina Olympics, Paralympics

A wide range of adaptive and inclusive designs, layering and insulation, and a giant Maple Leaf.

It’s all part of the Team Canada athlete kits from Lululemon, the organization’s official outfitter, unveiled Tuesday for the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics in Milan Cortina.

“In collaboration with Canada’s top athletes, we’ve applied insights and learnings from our last two Games to create a kit with deeper focus on innovation and inclusion, while delivering both function and style,” Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald said in a news release.

For two years, the Vancouver-based athleisure company worked closely with Canadian Olympians Will Dandjinou (speed skating), Piper Gilles (figure skating), Cassie Sharpe (freestyle skiing), Natalie Wilkie (Para skiing) and others to understand their unique needs during their Olympic and Paralympic journey.

Sharpe gushed over the bright red podium jacket, pointing out a swirling pattern that is actually a topographical map of Canada.

"I love that they've thought about putting the topographical map underneath. And then there's like a waterproof mesh layer over top," Sharpe told The Canadian Press, adding she also loved to see the zipper tag read "Canada" on one side and repeated in braille on the other side.

Design highlights include:

Thermoregulation: The kit is engineered with layering and insulation at the core to prepare athletes for the various temperatures and elements they will experience throughout the Games, ranging from city to top of mountain conditions.

Inclusivity: Driven by feedback from Paralympians, the kit features a range of adaptive and inclusive designs, including new adaptive footwear and seated-fit styles, abrasion-resistant fabrics, and features like braille and magnetic zippers.

Canadian pride: The kit tells the story of Canada by drawing inspiration from the country’s landscapes and environment, including a topographic map print, bold Maple Leaf designs, and colours ranging from deep red to iceberg-inspired greens and blues.

Elevated styling: Performance tailoring blends with modern silhouettes to create head-to-toe looks inspired by city style, featuring fabrics like merino wool, jacquard, and translucent glyde that elevate the Olympic and Paralympic uniform.

The opening ceremony look goes all-in on the iconic red leaf, but the symbol is reimagined in an oversized, stretched-out version that spans nearly the entire length of a maroon-coloured quilted vest, which is layered over a knee-length maroon jacket.

The leaf is not just big, it's "the biggest scale probably we've ever done and will ever do of the leaf," design director Catherine Lebrun told The Canadian Press.

“Canadian athletes are the best in the world, and it’s only fitting that they have the best-looking and most innovative team kit at the Games,” Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said.