Tuesday, June 19, 2012

London 2012 Olympics: Engraved iPod and branded underpants form part of Team ... - Evening Standard

It includes everything from Team GB branded underwear, playing cards and even a specially engraved iPod.

The pack, given to team GB's Olympic athletes, includes more than 91 items for men and 99 for women in six different bags.

As part of their training wear alone athletes will be given two jackets, one zipped hoodie, a fleece, a vest, six different styles of t-shirts, two designs of polo shirt, three pairs of trousers, one pair of shorts, underwear and London 2012 sunglasses.

Accessories include five styles of bag, flip flops, four styles of headwear, a washbag, antibacterial hand foam and playing cards.

They are also provided with a Links of London discount card and 21 different Team GB pin badges.

The iPod Nano is loaded with chants and cheering from fans to reinforce the message to athletes that Britain is backing them.

Team GB bosses said they had gone for “quality rather than quantity” with a smaller kit list than the last Olympics in Beijing.

But in the weeks leading up to the Games more than 255,000 units of kit will be handed out at Team GB preparation camp at Loughborough University to around 550 athletes and 450 support staff who will each take home a trolley-load of six bags to ensure their every clothing need during the Games is covered. 

As part of the 3.5 hour Team GB “experience” at the Team GB preparation camp at Loughborough University, athletes watch a motivational video presented by Clive Woodward, the British Olympic Association’s director of elite performance, before being taken to the “kitting out” area where they are accompanied by a personal shopper to get their outfits for the entire Olympic experience by Next and Adidas which are both fitted out like shops.

In the Next area they are fitted for their formal wear and closing and ceremonies - with seamstresses at the ready to make any necessary alterations - before going to Adidas where they try on their full Stella McCartney designed outfits for training, the Olympic Village, presentation outfits and competition.

Details of the opening and closing ceremony clothing remains secret with athletes asked to sign a secrecy agreement not to reveal any details of it.

Their footprints and handprints are taken to be used at the Olympic museum. They are also encouraged to sign a wall to mark their commitment to the “One Team GB” core values of Performance, Respect, Unity, Responsibility and Pride.

Commercial sponsors also have areas including a BP “infinity room” encouraging athletes to offset their carbon footprint and a Cadbury’s wall of messages of support from the public.

The first swathe of athletes to collect their kit were Team GB rowers who travelled to Loughborough yesterday [Mon] before they travel to Austria to train at altitude as part of their final training preparations for the Games.

Today it was the turn of sailing, more rowers, and openwater swimming to pick up their kit. They will be followed by members of the cycling, triathlon and athletics squads tomorrow [Weds].

Athletes broadly gave the kit their seal of approval, but the outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies provoked mixed reactions.

Rower Mohamed Sbihi, 24, from Surbiton, said: “The opening and closing ceremony costumes I would like to tell you about but I can’t, but it’s pretty cool.”

Rower Richard Egerton, 33, who lives in Henley-on-Thames, was among the first to come through.

He said: “It’s like shopping with your girlfriend, there’s clothes everywhere. It’s like Selfridges in the January sale. When we turned up it was immaculate, when we left there were clothes everywhere.”

Team GB Chef De Mission Andy Hunt said: “Everyone involved in sport knows that team kit is a hugely important and emotive subject. Receiving and wearing your team kit is a very special moment and the kit you wear is a key part of what binds you together as one team and it enables supporters to show their pride and passion for the team.

“Our challenge was to deliver Team GB kit that brings together 550 Olympic athletes from 26 sports, 750 support staff and volunteers â€" all very different shapes and sizes â€" and also inspire 60 million people across the UK to get behind our greatest team.”

Thirteen sports - including volleyball, handball, weightlifters, wrestlers and triathlon - will use Loughborough as their main training base before the Games, while many will go abroad for their final preparations.

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