Who Are The Stars Sporting?
Image Courtesy: olympic.ca
While the athletic performances throughout the 2022 Olympic Games were breathtaking, and while the Paralympic Games are quickly approaching, the athletic prowess of the Olympic season has not been the only thing that’s caught my eye. This year, Team USA and Team Canada have received sponsorships that make me wish I didn’t quit skiing after I plowed straight into the lift line my very first time (I’d like to say no innocent bystanders were harmed, but that just wouldn’t be true).
For the second year in a row, the women of Team USA have been decked out in SKIMS, Kim Kardashian’s loungewear and sleepwear brand. SKIMS is the official undergarment sponsor of Team USA, but their latest collection has really shown off their other products as well. When SKIMS first partnered with Team USA for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games, the collection was limited to a few different designs of undergarments. For the Winter Games, the brand has gotten much more creative, as the chilly weather gave them the opportunity to outfit the athletes in an array of cozy designs from knit hoodies to ribbed sleep pants, bralettes, boxers and beyond.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
An even newer sponsorship deal has been struck between Team Canada and *drum roll, please* Lululemon. With a slightly larger role than an undergarment sponsor, Lululemon is Team Canada’s official clothing outfitter, a partnership that extends to 2028. As a brand, Lululemon has become so popular worldwide that I wasn’t even aware that it was a Vancouver-based company until the deal announcement. But, if you’re thinking that this sponsorship will spark both Canadian pride and promotion of Lululemon (like I did), you may want to think again. Though the high-performance, yoga-inspired athletic wear may be just what the athletes need, Canadian fans are not pleased with the price that comes attached. While I usually leave both the bobsledding and the Olympic apparel to the athletes, it is much more popular in Canada to sport the official team merchandise. This fandom has caused backlash against Luluemon for its steep prices that are beyond the budget of the average Canadian.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
As a minimum-wage college student, I hear their cries and feel similarly upset looking at the pricey SKIMS collection, especially the robe. But, at least while my unathletic self scrolls through their website instead of going to the gym, I can imagine soaring over a stretch of pristine white snow, decked out head to toe in a blazing red snowsuit, or touring the Olympic Village in a matching fleece set. Just for a moment, I forget the daily struggle of strategically navigating my way around half frozen piles of slush, South Bend’s Olympic sport.
Strike Out,
Writer: Julia Wilcox
Editors: Kimani Krienke, Will Kennedy, Mary Clare Cameron
Writing Director: David Kramer
Blog Director: Helenna Xu
Notre Dame
