Team USA speed skater uniforms criticized for crotch patch

  • Team USA’s speed skating uniform has raised eyebrows at the Winter Olympics
  • Skintight uniforms are mostly just an average navy bodysuit with a spot of red and white – except for the unflattering light patch in the crotch region
  • Design detail is hard to miss when skaters are standing upright on the ice
  • The crotch patch quickly infatuated Twitter users with many asking what the designers were thinking
  • It does actually serve a purpose for Team USA skaters with the lighter material being a slippery fabric that reduces friction 

Team USA’s speed skaters have an unfortunate design detail on their Winter Olympic uniforms that has most people doing a double take when the competitors take to the ice. 

The skintight uniforms are mostly just an average navy bodysuit with a spot of red and white – except of course for the unflattering light patch plastered across the entire crotch region.

While it is barely visible when the speed skaters are doubled over racing in Pyeongchang, the design detail is hard to miss when the competitors are standing upright on the ice. 

Team USA’s speed skating uniforms are mostly just an average navy bodysuit with a spot of red and white – except for the unflattering light patch plastered across the entire crotch region

Unsurprisingly, the crotch patch has quickly infatuated Twitter users with many asking the same question: What on earth were the designers thinking? 

‘Y’all I’m assuming there is a point to the way the speed skating uniforms are designed, but maaaan that’s a weird place to put a light-colored circle,’ one person tweeted.

Another wrote: ‘Wait until you get a view from behind. Looks like they have a target on their cornhole.’

‘So who designed the US speed skating uniforms? That crotch-highlighting look is a little tone-deaf,’ another Twitter user wrote. 

Team USA's Heather Bergsma, Brittany Bowe, and Mia Manganello (left to right) celebrate on Monday after the quarterfinals of the women's team pursuit speedskating race

Team USA’s Heather Bergsma, Brittany Bowe, and Mia Manganello (left to right) celebrate on Monday after the quarterfinals of the women’s team pursuit speedskating race

John Henry Krueger celebrates after taking out the silver medal in the men's 1000m final during the short track speed skating

John Henry Krueger celebrates after taking out the silver medal in the men’s 1000m final during the short track speed skating

It is barely visible when the speed skaters are doubled over racing in Pyeongchang, the design detail is hard to miss when the competitors are standing upright on the ice

It is barely visible when the speed skaters are doubled over racing in Pyeongchang, the design detail is hard to miss when the competitors are standing upright on the ice

It turns out the light colored patch does serve a purpose for Team USA skaters.

The uniforms were specially designed by Under Armour for the 2018 Winter Games.

The lighter material in between the skater’s thighs is actually a slippery fabric that reduces friction by up to 65 percent when they are on the ice.

Under Armour spent four years designing the uniform after a somewhat disastrous run in Sochi in 2014. 

The company were behind the 2014 uniforms too, which were ditched midway through the Games after being blamed for the team’s poor performance.

Team USA failed to medal in speedskating in Russia for the first time in 30 years.  

So far in Pyeongchang, American John-Henry Krueger claimed a silver medal in the 1,000m final on Saturday. 



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