Aussie Olympians dressed in wool
The 2022 Australian Olympic Team looked very stylish in their formal uniform that included wool coats, knitwear and scarves created by fashion lifestyle brand Sportscraft, Australia’s longest-serving Woolmark licensee.
Mogul skiers Brodie Summers, Britt Cox and Cooper Woods unveiled the Australian Team formal uniforms in Alpe d’Huez, France, before competing in the Olympic Games in China during February.
The 2022 Australian Olympic Team looked very stylish in their formal uniform that included wool coats, knitwear and scarves created by fashion lifestyle brand Sportscraft, Australia’s longest-serving Woolmark licensee.
Fifty-eight years after Sportscraft won the Australian Wool Board’s first ‘Pure New Wool’ licence, the Australian lifestyle brand continues to have a love affair with wool, unveiling formal uniforms for the Australian Winter Olympic Team that highlight the fibre’s natural beauty.
Beijing 2022 marked the ninth time Sportscraft has designed and supplied the official Australian Olympic Team formal uniform, continuing their incredible support of Australian Olympians that stretches back to Atlanta 1996. For Beijing 2022, which ran from 4-20 February, Sportscraft produced a total of 750 uniform pieces, fitting 95 athletes and officials.
The highlight piece of the uniform is the longline wool blend coat in deep navy that is lined with the names of all 265 Australian Winter Olympians, from our first Winter competitor Kenneth Kennedy in 1936 to Olympic champions like Alisa Camplin, Torah Bright and Steven Bradbury.
The uniform also features a 100% wool grey marle crew neck knit for the male athletes or a turtleneck knit for the females, and a 100% wool scarf.
Jakara Anthony ended Australia’s 12-year Winter Olympics’ gold medal drought by winning gold at Beijing 2022. She is pictured here wearing the wool-rich formal Australian Team uniform. “The kit looks great, I can't wait to get to wear it at the Games,” she said prior to departing for Beijing.
“I love the feel of the uniform, Sportscraft has done a great job on the cut and the style, the quality of the fabric feels lovely on,” said mogul skier and four-time Olympian, Britt Cox.
“I love the high turtleneck jumper, it has an alpine vibe and it’s really appropriate for the Winter Games. I’m really excited and happy with the job they’ve done.”
Managing Director of Brand at Sportscraft, Elisha Hopkinson, was delighted to continue Sportscraft’s long-time support for Australian Olympians.
“Sportscraft being the official team uniform supplier to the Australian Winter Olympians is incredibly important to our brand,” Elisha said. “While we wanted the uniform to be modern and stylish in look, it also had to be relaxed and approachable in design and feeling. The uniform had to feel like an extension of our brand ethos by delivering a premium quality contemporary look for the quintessential Australian athlete.”
More information: www.sportscraft.com.au
XTM Merino base-layers and accessories at Beijing 2022
Australian gold medal Olympian Lydia Lassila road testing XTM’s Australian Team gear ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
In its fifth Olympics as official supplier of the Australian Winter Olympic Team, Australian outdoor clothing brand and Woolmark licensee, XTM, provided Merino base-layers and accessories to all athletes and Team officials at Beijing 2022.
Of note, the gear included the Merino Woolzy, a one-piece top and bottom base-layer made from 20.5-micron 100% Australian Merino wool; and in an Olympic first for the Australian Team, XTM developed and launched the Heat Seaker Sock, a battery-powered wool blend heated sock that provides up to six hours of heat at three-different levels with wireless remote control.
More information: www.xtm.com.au
This article appeared in the March 2022 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
