The look of the Canadian team kit for Paris was a big hit with boccia athlete Alison Levine. The functionality of the outfits was what really blew her away.
Lululemon showed off its collection for the Summer Olympics and Paralympics on Tuesday at the Liberty Grand entertainment complex. Athletes sported a variety of selections during a fashion show that featured garments to be worn on the podium, during opening and closing ceremonies, media interviews and daily life on the ground in France.
“I’d say classy but iconic Canadian with just that touch of elegance and beauty,” Levine said of the collection.
It’s the first Summer Games for the Vancouver-based Lululemon since becoming outfitter for the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
Unlike some of the more outlandish kits over the years, there were no cowboy hats, berets or Canadian tuxedo looks on display.
Simple and sporty was the focus with some colourful designs providing a more playful edge. Red and white provided the base but some different colours were worked in using what Lululemon called modern silhouettes and Canadian-inspired prints.
“It’s very Canada, I think they nailed it,” said diver Nathan Zsombor-Murray. “They got all the right colours: red, white, a hint of black and a little bit of purple. I think they did a really good job with the design.”
The kit also included features like magnetic-close zippers, pull-on loops, and sensory touch guides to support a diverse range of body types and abilities.
Levine, who’s preparing for her third Paralympics, said she first participated in focus group discussions on the kit over two years ago.
“I’m literally wearing pants with features that I told Lululemon is important to wheelchair users and here I am (a few) months later actually wearing them,” she said. “I feel heard, I feel understood and most importantly, I feel comfortable.”
Athlete Danielle Ellis wears the kit for media appearances during the unveiling of the Team Canada Lululemon Athlete Kit for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Toronto on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
About 200 people took in the proceedings, which kicked off with a flashy presentation complete with multiscreen videoboards. Canadian swimmer Benoit Huot – winner of 20 Paralympic medals – and retired women’s soccer goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé served as co-hosts.
Lululemon’s deal lasts through the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. Hudson’s Bay Company’s 16-year run as Canadian outfitter ended after the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021.
Some pieces from the new collection were available for purchase on the Lululemon website on Tuesday, one day ahead of in-store releases. The showcase vented bomber jacket was priced at $398, a convertible jacket was $248 and convertible pants were $198.
Among some of the other items: a translucent hooded jacket was $188, a button-down shirt was $98 and high-rise shorts were $68.
“What stands out is just how much attention to detail Lululemon has put into it,” said COC chief executive officer David Shoemaker. “It’s not just the fit, it’s not just the function, it’s the fabrics and it’s the tapestries.
“That all comes together in a marvellous way.”
Lululemon said it conducted product testing and feedback sessions with 19 Canadian athletes across 14 different sports while designing the kit.
“What I’m most proud of is not just that it’s a beautiful collection, but more importantly it’s the innovation and the authenticity of working with them through the relationships and creating innovative solutions with their input,” said Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald.
The Olympics are set for July 26-Aug 11. The Paralympics will be held from Aug. 28-Sept. 8.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2024.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
