We watch the Olympics to marvel at the incredible feats of the world’s best athletes. We watch to cheer for our country, for our favorite competitors, for graduates of our colleges. We watch to gawk at the impeccably chiseled bodies run, swim, leap, and defy all odds. And last but certainly not least, we watch to see just how ridiculously ugly those opening ceremony outfits can get. In honor of last night’s opening ceremony, which was no exception to the tradition of at least a few teams donning unsightly get-ups every time the Games begin, we’re spotlighting seven of the worst Olympic outfits of all time. We apologize to your eyes in advance.
1. Spain, Summer Olympics 2012 @ London
If you didn’t catch the opening ceremony last night, you were fortunate enough to not see this heinous fashion faux pas live, and to those who did see it we’re sorry to unleash the ugly on you a second time around. It’s hard to tell exactly what Spain was going for here, but they definitely missed the bullseye. They did, however, hit the bullfighter, which is just one of many figures that seem to have inspired this catastrophe. Others include but are not limited to: handkerchief, tablecloth, flight attendant, NASCAR racer, and Ronald McDonald. Spain’s Saul Craviotto tweeted a picture of himself trying on the outfit, writing that it’s best he not share his opinion of it. He may have tried to hide his true feelings, but we feel his pain.
2. Japan, Summer Olympics 2000 @ Sydney
Apparently Japan was a little indecisive on what color to make their uniforms in 2000—so they opted for all of them. The bright colors are actually nice, but the collared, parachute-like capes that the colors are splayed on are an entirely different story.
3. Japan, Summer Olympics 2004 @ Athens
Oh Japan, you did it again. Sadly, their style did not improve from the 2000 to the 2004 Olympics; actually, it might have gotten a bit worse. Were they preparing for a torrential downpour? Channeling Mary Poppins? Celebrating Easter belatedly? Expressing their love for botany? The world may never know.
4. Australia, Summer Olympics 1992 @ Barcelona
Is that the Australian Olympic team of 1992 or did a gaggle of tourists accidentally stray from their safari trip and end up at the stadium in their place? It’s a tough call. The athletes of the Outback may have looked absolutely ridiculous, but hopefully they snapped some quality photos of the lions, and tigers, and bears—oh my.
5. Russia, Summer 2012 Olympics @ London
With these in-your-face tracksuits from this year’s opening ceremony, there’s no mistaking what team is wearing them—unless of course the hypnotic, maze of a design blinds you before you can process those giant block letters.
6. Hungary, Summer 2008 Olympics @ Beijing
And you thought you had seen all the overwhelming red uniforms you could handle. In what from far away appears to be a tribute to the Canadian flag or Aunt Flo, the Hungarian Olympians sported these startling suits in 2008. Here’s hoping that they haven’t been worn since.
7. Spain, Summer 2008 Olympics @ Beijing
This list ends where it began—with Spain decked out in red and yellow in a rather unfortunate way. Whereas their outfit this year was an ambiguous combination of various influences, the inspiration for their 2008 costume could not be more clear: Heinz. Marching into the stadium, Spain was the spitting image of a procession of condiments. Need we say more?
Want to see more of the worst Olympic fashion disasters of all time? Check out BuzzFeed’s list. Maybe one day the Olympic teams will enter the opening ceremonies wearing normal, universal uniforms. But until then, we’ll keep being baffled—and amused—with what crazy outfits some teams whip out.
What do you think, collegiettes of the esteemed fashion police? Which outfit wins the gold medal for worst of all time?