MARCUS Duncan, who will represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil in August, said seeing the TT Olympic Games uniforms signifies all the hard work the national athletes displayed leading up to the Games.
Duncan and other national athletes including Janeil Bellille and Reyare Thomas modelled the Adidas-sponsored uniforms that TT will be sporting at the Games which runs from August 5-21. Various uniforms were unveiled at the TT Olympic House on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, yesterday comprising Olympic village wear, podium wear and training wear. Duncan, who is part of the men’s 4x100-metre relay team, gave his thoughts on the uniforms. He said, “the uniforms look sensational.
It is one of the things where you are excited about the uniform because it is the Olympic uniform and it signifies a lot more to you as an athlete and it has meaning because of all the work you put in. You then see the uniform and it’s like ‘wow’ it is a lot better than I expected it to be.
It passed my expectations and it was a huge wow factor (yesterday) for me seeing it.” Bellille, who will compete in the women’s 400m hurdles, was also satisfied with the uniforms. Bellille stated, “I am actually pleased, they were quite comfortable. We usually go with all red but they changed it up this year. I am very patriotic, I love my red, white and black.
The outfits are really nice this year I must say.” Other than the national colours the TT athletes will sport uniforms with additional colours including pink and blue.
Thomas expressed her delight with the changes made saying, “I actually love the uniform this year, it’s a change from having all red.” Thomas will participate in the women’s 200m and the women’s 4x100m relay. President of the TT Olympic Committee Brian Lewis said the design of the uniforms was approved one year ago. Lewis explained, “they (Adidas) would have presented it in fact a year ago to the Olympic Committee and all our partners who were likely to qualify (for the Olympics) such as the NAAA. These designs would have been approved a year ago.” The TTO C head said the uniforms represents TT ’s culture. “It was an effort to be spicy, modern and vibrant in terms of the colours because it is Rio and of course the whole effort to rebrand Team TTO (Trinidad and Tobago) which is a reflection of our music, our culture and our sports and who we are as a people. We did not stick to just the strict red, white and black. In terms of modernising and making yourself more vibrant you need to do things a little differently.” Lewis is counting down the days to Rio.
“With everybody heading out to the pre-games training camp on the 23rd which is Saturday, the eve of Hasely Crawford’s 40th anniversary of his historic Montreal (1976 Olympics) 100-metre medal, the Olympic Committee is also celebrating our 70th year. This is it, it’s past crunch time now. The 5th of August is almost here and we have a team going to Rio. We are now focusing on planning for 2020 Tokyo and 2024. It has been a tremendous team effort by all concerned.”