As the Paris Olympics 2024 draws nearer, it’s not just the athletes who are looking to make the most of the opportunities. Efforts are also underway to make their appearance appealing on the tracks. With that in mind, sports apparel giant Nike has embarked on a mission to provide Team USA with a look that will stand out from everyone else on the big stage. However, not everyone is on board with the new drips.

With the USA being one of the most dominant nations in the history of the Olympic Games, it’s only fitting that the national team members should be easy to find among all the athletes who will grace the French capital in July. To design and manufacture the official attire for Team USA is an honor that can certainly add to the catalog of any brand. And yet, for many fans, Nike has fallen short of the task in a rather comical manner.

In a recent post on X by Citius Mag, the USA track and field national team‘s Olympic attire has been shared for fans to admire. “Here’s your first look at the new @Nike kits that will be worn by the U.S. track and field team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.“, reads the caption of the post.  

While the announcement was aimed at getting fans behind the new looks, it looks to have backfired spectacularly. Several former athletes and fans have joined hands to mock the new outfits for their alleged lack of seriousness.

Fans and athletes criticize every aspect of the outfit

The 2016 Olympic gold medalist David Verburg thinks the ideation process behind the looks was probably not given enough time or resources that it should have had. “Looks like it was designed on Canva and sold on Temu.“, commented the track and field star.

Winnetonka High School’s track and field coach Caesar Morales, after noting that these designs have become a common sight for the national team in recent years, claimed that a better job should be warranted given the stature of the Olympics and the legacy of Nike. “I think the overall USA designs are ugly. They need to do better with the color schemes and fonts“, reads his comment.

The American indoor 400m record holder Britton Wilson also summarily discarded the new designs and wrote, “this is wrong. soooo wrong.”

Kentucky’s track and field roster member Katelyn Hutchison also thought the attire dilutes the seriousness of the sport altogether. “Track and field is a DEEPLY unserious sport“, wrote the athlete in her post.

Jamaican member of the parliament and three-time Olympic medalist Juliet Cuthbert believes it’s probably the angle of the image that’s responsible for the backlash over the new design. “Really? Anymore pics to see from a different angle?“, reads her comment on the matter.

What did you think of the new fit for Team USA? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Read More: Paris Olympics: Why Is Sha’Carri Richardson and Team USA Outfit Under Protest by Fans?