When Australia’s Olympians compete in Paris this year, they will be wearing a kit featuring the work of Indigenous artists.
And for the first time, Australians will be able to wear uniform dresses around Olympic venues when not competing – a marked change from the traditional “boys uniform that didn’t fit us properly”, according to the rugby sevens captain, Charlotte Caslick, who won gold in the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Australia’s new Olympic uniforms were unveiled in Sydney on Thursday, and included designs by the artist and boxer Paul Fleming and Torres Strait Islander artist David Bosun.
Fleming’s design, called Walking Together, is a nod to the way the Olympics unite people from all countries, backgrounds and cultures. Bosun’s artwork features elements of traditional and modern ways of life in the Torres Strait Islands, with all lines in the design converging on the Dhan, an important cultural item.
The rugby sevens player Maurice Longbottom said the design was “a little bit special”.
“I’m super excited … to wear this and represent my culture and my heritage on the world stage,” he said. “Hopefully I can get out there and do Pauly Fleming proud.”
Caslick said the dress option was empowering given rugby’s history as a male-centric sport.
“Paris is the fashion capital of the world and we get to wear cute dresses,” she said.
The new kits are designed by Japan-based sports apparel manufacturer Asics, in collaboration with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).
The uniforms also feature a traditional Japanese arrow pattern, known as yagasuri, representing strength, momentum and determination.
Kyle Vander-Kuyp, a member of the AOC’s Indigenous advisory committee and Worimi and Yuin man, said he was encouraged by the athletes’ enthusiasm.
“I thought, ‘will they embrace this? Will they enjoy having Indigenous design?’ But to my surprise they said, ‘we want more, we want more’,” the record-setting hurdler said.
The former medal-winning cyclist and the Australian team’s 2024 chef de mission, Anna Meares, said the uniform was indicative of the nation’s cultural harmony.
“We’re talking about that interweaving of the fabric – we really see that with the Indigenous design in our uniform, but also sport in our culture.”
after newsletter promotion
The javelin thrower Kelsey-Lee Barber, who won bronze in the 2020 Olympics, said the kit made her feel confident – something which was key when competing.
“When we start seeing … our competition uniform we really start feeling that moment come together towards the next Olympic Games,” she said.
Australia’s athletes also applauded the uniforms for being lightweight and comfortable, designed with advanced ventilation technology and tailored to suit the range of motion required for individual sports.
The Olympic weightlifting hopeful Eileen Cikamatana said her lifting shirt, emblazoned with a feature stripe from Fleming’s designs, was the “best shirt I’ve ever worn”.
“I could wear it all day.”
The AOC’s constitution was altered in 2021 to guarantee spots for one Indigenous and one Torres Strait Islander athlete in the commission, aimed at increasing diversity in sport.
The track uniforms’ release will soon be followed with the reveal of the contingent’s official opening ceremony uniforms and blazers, which have been designed by fashion brand Sportscraft in recent years.
This story was updated on 7 March. An original version of the story incorrectly stated that Australia’s rugby sevens women’s squad would be competing in dresses. Dresses are being offered as an option for athletes to wear around Olympic venues