Home > Rio 2016

PHOTOS: The best and worst track kits at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Athletes and their country's kits have been on display at the Olympic Games in Rio. While some are on point, others could use a bit of work.

Olympic kits
August 16, 2016
Share on SMS

With the whole world watching the Olympic Games in Rio, it’s always nice to look good on camera. That will likely depend on your country’s kit design.

While there are still plenty of events to be run, most country’s kits have been on display at least once during the early stages of the Olympics. Different brands sponsor different countries so there is a wide range of designs and colours depending on the country.

The distance kits for men are typically split shorts and a loose top and briefs and a fitted top for women. Spandex is typically the norm for sprinters as loose fitting clothing is less aerodynamic at the speeds in which they’re running. Don’t be surprised to see a distance runner wear tights and a sprinter wear split shorts, however, as it comes down to personal preference.

Here are some of the best and some of the more questionable kits seen so far at the Olympics.

Best

Canada

Though not the traditional white and red of a typical Canadian kit, this year’s Rio look is on point. We also saw a secondary kit for the Canadians during the outdoor events. Lanni Marchant and Krista DuChene rocked the white versions of Canada’s Nike singlet during the women’s marathon, which helped during the hot and humid conditions on Sunday morning.

RELATED: The must-see moments from the women’s Olympic marathon in Rio.

All of Nike’s jerseys at the Olympics feature AeroBlades, small rubber nodes placed on specific parts of the jersey and bottoms to reduce drag. The sportswear giant provides the racing kits for, in addition to Canada, China, the United States, Germany, Kenya, Bahrain, Brazil among others.

Olympic running gear
Canada’s basketball and track and field uniforms on display at 45 Grand St. in New York City.

Jamaica

It doesn’t hurt that Jamaica has both the fastest man and the fastest woman in the world in men’s champion Usain Bolt and women’s champion Elaine Thompson. The two 100m champions make Jamaica’s kit look even speedier. The kit is manufactured by Puma.

A photo posted by Usain St.Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) on

RELATED: Up close: Usain Bolt’s Olympic 100m golden spikes.

Grenada

Possibly the most colourful kits of the Olympics are those of Grenada, the small island nation in the Caribbean. Grenada has five athletes competing in track and field including Kirani James and Bralon Taplin, both of who remarkably made the men’s 400m final. There are 105,000 people who live in Grenada and to have two runners in a global final is remarkably impressive.

Uganda

United States

Japan

Portugal

Ghana

Kenya

Sweden

The Swedish jerseys aren’t anything special but the interesting thing about their kits is that they’re made by H&M. They’re the only nation with kits manufactured by the Swedish-based company, and understandbly..

Germany

Worst

Turkey

South Africa

Switzerland

Spain

India

Morocco

Kazakhstan

Great Britain