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Home / Sport / Olympics

ESPN writer labels New Zealand's Winter Olympic uniform a 'let-down'

NZ Herald
9 Feb, 2018 10:40 PM2 mins to read

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Flag bearer Beau-James Wells of New Zealand and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Photo / AP.

Flag bearer Beau-James Wells of New Zealand and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Photo / AP.

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It's a uniform choice that is suffice for our nations sports teams, but the black with a silver fern that is so commonly linked with New Zealand has upset an ESPN writer.

Watching the opening ceremony for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, one writer ranked the best and worst countries at the event.

The writer labelled New Zealand's black uniform as "a let-down".

Lead by freestyle skier, Beau-James Wells, the New Zealand team wore black during the parade on Friday night (Saturday morning NZT).

"New Zealand was one of several countries to go all-black, which at the Olympics just seems like a let-down.

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Members of the New Zealand Olympic Team perform a dance during a welcome ceremony inside the Pyeongchang Olympic Village prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Photo / AP.
Members of the New Zealand Olympic Team perform a dance during a welcome ceremony inside the Pyeongchang Olympic Village prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Photo / AP.
Members of the New Zealand Olympic Team are escorted into a welcome ceremony inside the Pyeongchang Olympic Village prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Photo / AP.
Members of the New Zealand Olympic Team are escorted into a welcome ceremony inside the Pyeongchang Olympic Village prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Photo / AP.

"This is one case where black does not go with everything," it said.

But our nation was not alone, Germany also received some harsh words.

"There isn't much room to go wrong in winter-wear, but Germany managed with the odd tan and green colour palette."

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Unsurprisingly it was the shirtless and oiled-up Tongan flag bearer, Pita Taufatofua who "stole the show" despite the freezing conditions the writer claimed.

Taufatofua first turned heads at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio with his shirtless, oiled-up look as the flag bearer for his country.

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