Top 5 uniforms from the 2023 World Championships

As the 2023 World Championships from Budapest have come and gone, it’s time to revisit some of the most eye-catching uniforms that graced the world stage. While Canada’s national team singlet in striking red, white, and black by Nike undoubtedly stole the spotlight as our personal (biased) favourite, let’s explore some of the other top contenders.

1) Estonia

I know it’s a bold statement, but Estonia’s tricolour singlet, featuring a vibrant blue (top), bold black (middle), and pristine white (bottom), might just be the best thing since sliced bread. Its old-school simplicity exudes timeless charm, making it an attention-grabbing choice in every event. In Budapest, Estonian fans showed unwavering support, proudly donning these colours and rallying behind the multi-event athletes during the heptathlon and decathlon. Estonia has seen a surge in world-class decathletes since Erki Nool catapulted the small European nation to international fame at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, becoming a national hero by winning Estonia’s first Olympic gold in the multi-events.

2) Kenya

The Kenyan national team singlet is not only historic but also elite in every sense. This singlet is widely celebrated for its vibrant and iconic red, green and black colours, which mirror the national colours of Kenya. This singlet has famously become inseparable from the nation’s dominance in long-distance running, worn by all-time greats Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge and David Rudisha. The singlet’s distinctive design is not only easily recognizable, but has evolved into a symbol of their triumphs and the immense pride they take in representing their nation on the global stage.

3) New Zealand

The small but mighty Oceanic island nation of New Zealand may not have won any medals in Budapest, but they have certainly landed on the podium for the best uniforms. The primary colour of the New Zealand Athletics singlet is black, symbolizing the country’s cultural background, including its indigenous Maori culture. The singlet is also influenced by New Zealand’s national rugby team, the All Blacks, highlighting the importance of black in the country’s sports culture.

4) Netherlands

Orange is a vibrant and captivating colour, and perhaps it’s one of the little reasons why the Netherlands managed to secure a top 10 spot in the medal table for the second consecutive year at the championships. You might be wondering, why orange? Well, orange is not just any colour; it’s the national colour of the Netherlands and holds profound significance in the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage, especially in connection with the Dutch royal family, famously known as the House of Orange. For centuries, the colour orange has been intertwined with the Dutch monarchy, symbolizing unity, national pride, and, of course, the dominance of athletes like Sifan Hassan.

5) Great Britain 

We anticipated some heat if we overlooked this one, but it’s hard to deny that Team GB’s singlets, featuring the iconic combination of the national red, white, and blue colours of the United Kingdom, rank among the world’s finest designs. The tricolour design, set against the backdrop of the Scottish blue, symbolizes the union of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—four nations collectively forming the United Kingdom. These singlets truly put the “Great” in Great Britain.

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