Australians react to Olympics uniform reveal ahead of 2024 Paris Games

Australians have weighed in on the new Olympics uniform that was unveiled a few months out from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The world is counting down to the most-anticipated event of the sporting calendar with the Games due to get underway in France from July 26.

This latest edition of the green and gold garb was designed in collaboration between sports performance brand ASICS and the Australian Olympic Committee.

Sports stars including Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams and Rugby 7s player Maurice Longbottom gathered at Yurong Point – otherwise known as Mrs Macquarie Chair – in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens on Thursday.

First impressions of the new kit have started to roll in on social media, with many expressing confusion over a splash of grey among the sea of gold and green.

“The Australian Olympic uniforms have just been released and no offence to the good people at ASICS but have we really gone from an iconic purple #Matildas goalkeeper kit to … grey? really?,” one person said in a post to X – formerly known as Twitter.

The uniform in question was modelled by Ms Williams – a two-time Olympic representative for the Matilda’s – and is a major shift away from the bright purple that teammate and fellow goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold wore a few weeks ago during the Olympics qualifier.

Another person seemed unfazed by the colour changes, saying its something the designers get “wrong” every year.

“The Olympic uniforms always either have the wrong shade of green or the wrong shade of gold,” they said.

Some others were more blunt in their criticism of the uniform, with one simply saying “rubbish” and another discarding it as “more Indigenous nonsense”.

Every part of the uniform features the nation’s iconic green and gold colour scheme, and two prints designed by First Nations artist and 2008 Olympic boxer Paul Fleming as well as Torres Strait artist David Bosun.

“The centre piece represents a meeting place because the Olympics brings together people of all colours, religions and backgrounds from all over the world who are all competing for the same goal,” Mr Fleming said of his print.

“Everyone essentially becomes ‘one’, we’re all athletes and it doesn’t matter where you come from.”

ASICS Oceania managing director Mark Brunton said: “It is with great pride that we see the Australian Olympic Team once again donning ASICS uniforms as they prepare to represent our nation on a global stage.”

The uniform also features a nod to ASIC’s Japanese heritage with a traditional Yagasuri arrow pattern.

Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team for Paris 2024 Anna Meares said the uniform looks “fantastic”.

“So many iconic Australian sporting moments played out in ASICS kit at the Tokyo Olympics, and I cannot wait to see the new sporting history Australian athletes will create in Paris in these uniforms,” she said.

Australian Olympic Rugby Sevens star Maurice Longbottom mirrored Anna’s sentiment saying: “It fills me with enormous pride to represent my country on the world stage, wearing a uniform which incorporates Indigenous design to showcase our rich cultural heritage, uniting us as one.”

In developing the uniform, the ASICS Institute of Sport Science considered the temperature and weather conditions athletes will face in Paris.

As a result, the uniforms feature an advanced ventilation technology optimised specifically for the summer Olympic Games.

More than 460 athletes are expected to represent Australia in 30 sports at the Olympic Games in July.