The opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 23 and run through Aug. 8. On Wednesday, Polo Ralph Lauren unveiled photos of the wardrobe that Team USA athletes will be wearing for the closing ceremony.
Polo Ralph Lauren unveils the official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team Closing Ceremony uniforms, proudly made in America
— Ralph Lauren (@RalphLauren) April 14, 2021
Featuring our @TeamUSA athletes: Skateboarders Heimana Reynolds and @JordynBarratt, and BMX Gold Medalist @ConnorFields11https://t.co/OxXILN3IIW pic.twitter.com/Hd3kaC40qS
As we approach the #TokyoOlympics and #TokyoParalympics, Polo Ralph Lauren unveils the official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic @TeamUSA Closing Ceremony uniforms, proudly made in America
— Ralph Lauren (@RalphLauren) April 14, 2021
Join us on the road to Tokyo: https://t.co/OxXILN3IIW#RLxTeamUSA pic.twitter.com/WrdVwjQyvb
Ralph Lauren has been the official outfitter for Team USA's opening and closing ceremony wardrobe since the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
The white jackets will feature an American flag patch on the arm, the United States Olympic logo on the right breast, and the Ralph Lauren polo logo on left breast. The jackets will also have blue collars and hoods.
The Olympics were originally scheduled to take place last summer, but were postponed until 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the pandemic is still ongoing, foreign fans won't be allowed to attend the Tokyo Olympics or Paralympics this summer. There will be a 33-page playbook for athletes that will detail the health and safety protocols that will be in place.
In addition, some believe that the rescheduled 2020 Olympics shouldn't take place this July. Earlier this week, a Kyodo News poll showed that 72 percent of Japanese residents asked are in favor of postponing or even canceling the Tokyo Olympics.
"Amid lingering concern over a fourth coronavirus wave and the slow progress of vaccination, the poll found 39.2 percent believe the postponed Olympics and Paralympics should be canceled, while 32.8 percent think they should be rescheduled. Only 24.5 percent responded that the games should be held as scheduled," the poll stated.
According to the Wall Street Journal, only one percent of the Japanese population has received a COVID-19 vaccination. The country had a slow rollout in terms of administering COVID-19 vaccines and just began doing so in mid-February.