With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games kicking off on Friday, some observers are saying that Mongolia has already scored a win.
The team recently unveiled the uniforms their athletes will wear at the opening ceremony, and they instantly became the talk of both the fashion and sports worlds. Not only are they incredibly beautiful and stylish, but they’re also packed with symbols that honour Mongolia's history.
Mongolia's Olympic uniforms for the 2024 games were designed by fashion label Michel&Amazonka - based in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar - and these ornate uniforms will be worn by the 30 Mongolian athletes during the opening ceremony when the teams will float down the River Seine river on boats. With this combo of transportation and style, this Asian country is sure to make an impression.
The uniforms draw heavily from East Asian traditional garments, particularly from the Mongolian deel - a type of tunic that evokes a caftan where the sides are pulled against the wearer's body. The pieces are decorated with national and Olympic symbols, delicately embroidered with gold thread. The Olympic rings and torch shine brightly on the athletes’ chest alongside the Nine White Banners, symbol of veneration of the Mongolian State. Details also include depictions of the Sun, the Moon, and the Gua-Maral (a mythical deer from Mongolian folklore).
The outfits are completed with equally detailed accessories. Female athletes will don intricate ceremonial earrings and embroidered bags, while male flag-bearers will wear an archery hat, belt, and traditional Mongolian boots.
Mongolia first participated at the Olympic Games in 1964, and has sent athletes to compete in all but one Summer Olympic Games since then, being part of the boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union. Mongolian athletes have won a total of 30 medals, all in Summer Olympics competitions, in freestyle wrestling, boxing, shooting, and judo.