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usa team finals uniform detail
usa team finals uniform detail
USA Gymnastics/John Cheng
Style > Fashion

This Hidden Detail In Team USA’s Olympics Gymnastics Uniform Is So Cool

Tyra Alexander

I can’t decide what my favorite part of the 2024 Summer Olympics gymnastics competition is: seeing amazing athletes compete head-to-head for the gold medal, or the ridiculously stunning uniforms. Team USA has been pulling out all the stops with their uniforms at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris — and the women’s leotards from the July 30 team finals are no exception. And it turns out, they uniforms actually have a hidden meaning behind all those sparkles.

Team USA’s uniforms for the women’s gymnastics finals embodies true patriotism with its red, white, and blue design. Made by GK Elite Sportswear, the official provider of uniforms for the Team USA gymnastics team, the leotard features 9,929 Swarovski crystals — but it’s the design of the ‘fits that are really special, as it pays homage to the 1996 gymnastics team, also known as the “Magnificent Seven.”

The Magnificent Seven — which consisted of gymnasts Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Amy Chow, Amanda Borden, and Jaycie Phelps — competed in the 1996 Games in Atlanta, where they made history by winning a gold medal in the team event, a first for Team USA in women’s gymnastics. Since then, Team USA has taken home all-around gold in 2012 in London and in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. This year’s Team USA — consisting of Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera — headed into the Paris team event with some hidden symbolism on their leos as a reminder of their mission to once again take home the gold.

So, what is that symbolism, exactly? It turns out, the uniform design for the 1996 team featured a white leotard with stars and stripes on each sleeve, similar to what the 2024 leo looks like.

“[The 1996 Team] were pioneers,” Jeanne Diaz, design director at GK Elite, told Business Insider. So, by reviving that design in 2024 — with a little extra sparkle — Diaz hoped that Team USA would “carry a piece of that legacy with them.” 

Of course, the lewk had to get a modern update — which means a lot more sparkles! “We have touches of gold in the crystal design to really pay homage to our dynasty that USA Gymnastics has built,” Diaz told Fortune. 

Many Team USA fans have expressed their awe for the uniforms, with one X user commenting “The more rhinestones the better when it comes to gymnastics.”

But TBH, while the sparkles and design of the leotards are absolutely magnificent, it’s the athletes who wore them that really shone on July 30. The team took home the Olympic gold medal for the team events thanks to their sheer talent, grit, and determination — but it certainly doesn’t hurt that they looked amazing while doing it. It’s safe to say that this tribute uniform lived up to the Magnificent Seven.

Tyra Alexander is a National Writer for Her Campus, primarily writing about life, experiences, and academics. She is also Editor In Chief at her campus chapter at Loyola University Maryland. Beyond Her Campus, Tyra is a Junior English Major and communications minor. She is the Head Nonfiction Editor for her campus' literary art magazine, Corridors and is Senior Copy Editor for her school's newspaper, The Greyhound News. In her free time, Tyra can be found reading a romance book (or two), dancing with her university’s dance company, or watching vlogs by her favorite YouTubers. She is a big fan of R&B and pop, with her favorite artists being Victoria Monét, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande.