The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today
unveiled the designs of the Games Maker uniform that will be worn by around 70,000
volunteers and 6,000 LOCOG staff and the Technical Officials uniform which will be worn by around 4,500 Technical Officials during the London 2012 Games.
The uniforms will be a visible presence for the millions of spectators who will be coming to London and the rest of the UK next year. They fulfil all the necessary practical criteria for a diverse range of Games Makers, LOCOG staff and Technical Officials to undertake the varied roles that will be required during the Games.
The design of the Games Maker uniform has drawn inspiration from the heritage and culture of the UK, influenced by the historic Grenadier Guards uniform and British Sporting heritage - including the London 1948 Games, Wimbledon Tennis and Henley Regatta but with a twist that reflects British quirkiness and modern design.
The Games Maker uniform, designed by LOCOG in association with London 2012's official sportswear provider Adidas, has a deep purple and poppy red colour scheme. The colour combination is based upon a contemporary twist of a regal purple and vibrant Grenadier Guards red. The combinations of vibrant and fresh colours will provide a distinctive look and allow Games Makers to stand out in the crowd.
The details on the uniform evoke the pride and heritage of the United Kingdom. The colours and details on the uniform celebrate the best of British sport, history and fashion. The uniform mixes key aspects from modern sportswear - including the cut, fabric and ergonomic seams - to ensure they meet comfort and functionality requirements.
LOCOG, in association with British retailer and London 2012's official clothing and homeware supplier Next, designed the formal wear uniform that will be worn by Technical Officials during the London 2012 Games. The formal wear is also inspired by British heritage but with a modern twist.
Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of LOCOG said: 'Next summer our workforce and volunteers will be working together to deliver Olympic Games and Paralympic Games which we hope the whole country will be proud of. They will be high profile in London and in our venues across the UK at Games time and so it's important they look the part. What we've come up with is a uniform which celebrates the best of Britain's heritage in a modern and sustainable way. Delivering the Games is hard work and so the uniform needs to be functional, however we also want our teams to wear it with pride. We showed it to them this morning and the response was incredibly enthusiastic. Next to the athletes themselves, Technical Officials will be at the heart of the action next summer and we have worked with our partners Adidas and Next to create uniforms which are practical and stylish.'
Simon Cartwright, Adidas Global VP of Olympic sports said: 'With our long heritage in the Olympics having outfitted athletes and federations since 1928 we wanted to include just as many technologies in the Games Maker uniforms as we do for our athletes. This includes a perfect thermo regulation, light materials and the requirement that uniforms are practically adaptable for people with disabilities. Seeing 70,000 Games Makers and staff wearing the result of our teams hard work will be a very proud moment.'
CSSC member Lade Adanijo was one of the volunteers chosen to help model the new uniforms! Lade told us about his day:
"I was part of the group of 2012 volunteers who had been requested to launch the Games Maker unifo
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We met the LOCOG press officer and PR team at the Olympic Park and went off to the Aquatics Centre to change. The excitement, enthusiasm and camaraderie we all shared could be felt. We had a little tour of where the pictures would be taken at The Olympic Stadium and I spotted 'Willow' - the Stadium Hawk! Apparently he has the role of ensuring birds do not nest in the venues while construction is ongoing. We watched him do his rounds and we all agreed he was a Games Maker too.
We walked through to the Olympic Park where we were met by the press and media. There was a lot of excitement as they all hustled to turn to see us. The cameras were flashing, videos were reeling and there were lots of comments from the media. Then it was time for the live interviews, which was daunting yet exciting. The LOCOG PR team did a great job in prepping us: "The questions will be about the uniform and how you feel. Just be natural, it will flow." And it did, luckily!
It was a good day, a humbling day. I have been a LOCOG volunteer since November 2010, training Selection Event Volunteers and interviewing for Games Makers. I had an interview shift later that day and it was surreal to see my picture displayed on the wall. I am still involved with interviews, which go on until March, and then I will be a Training Event Volunteer training Games Makers in the run up to the greatest show on Earth.
To me the legacy of this London 2012 Olympic Games, is not just the physical things that will have been used and we shall continue to see after the Games, but the memories, the involvement, the building of bonds, the regeneration of an area, the collective pulling together, the use of sustainability and recycling. The reminder to present and future generations of why we are called Great Britain, and to London the unifying mix of multi-cultural heritage we have always been proud of."
