Rio 2016 Olympics Unveils Staff and Volunteer Uniforms

By Nelson Belen, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In a little over two months, some 500,000 international visitors are expected to descend on the Cidade Maravilhosa for the start of the 2016 Olympics, with the world watching. In preparation the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee unveiled the uniforms to be used by the 87,000 staff and volunteers who have been hired to work one of the biggest sports spectacles in the world.

For visitors attending the Games, Rio 2016 staff and volunteers should be easy to spot as they will be outfitted in one of four vibrant colors: blue, red, yellow, or green.

The color of the uniform will depend on the worker’s job function: blue will be for Olympic officials, red will be for medical staff, yellow will be for operational staff, and finally, green will be for guest relations staff.

Games Services Manager Todd Severson commented on the logic behind the color scheme, “Blue, for example, fits perfectly for the judges, as the competition areas are also blue,” Severson said. “Similarly, green was chosen because the signage in the arenas will be the same color.”

The complete staff uniform is comprised of green sneakers, khaki pants, a jacket, a fanny pack and a raincoat. A more formal uniform was also designed for officials on the field of play.

Chinese sportswear company, 361º, who manufactured the uniforms, designed them to withstand both the warm and cool conditions normally associated with Rio de Janerio’s winters. The uniforms were made of a special moisture wicking material that is also wind resistant. Also, the trousers have a zipper at the knee to easily transform to shorts.

In all, 361º produced over two million uniform items to accommodate the Rio 2016 staff and volunteers. “They were created,” said Rio 2016 Brand Director Beth Lula, “in order to show the essence of Team Rio 2016, who are putting in their all to make the Olympic and Paralympic Games memorable.”

The uniforms were unveiled at Rio’s Cidade do Samba, at a site normally used by the city’s samba schools ahead of carnival. During the Olympics this site will serve as the Rio 2016 staff accreditation center.

The Rio 2016 Olympics are the first in South America. The Games will be held from August 5th to the 21st.