Adidas Unveils Team GB Tokyo Kit As Athletes Scale Somerset House

Adidas has unveiled the Team GB and ParalympicsGB kit for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games by taking a number of athletes to scale London’s iconic Somerset House.

Overlooking skyline views of London, athletes including Max Whitlock, Laura Kenny, Elliot Stewart, Laviai Nielson, Olivia Breen and Shauna Coxsey showcased the new kit in the crow’s nest of the building, in a series of images symbolising the athlete’s hopes for a bright summer. The sportswear brand also says the stunt aimed to highlight how athletes are ‘rising together following a year of uncertainty and unprecedented challenges’.

Chosen for its reputation for using its neo-classical backdrop to showcase ground-breaking contemporary culture, Somerset House was chosen to provide the setting to celebrate the launch of the kit, which itself aims to reflect the ‘combination of traditional and contemporary’ 

The kit features a deconstructed Union flag, which uses transparent overlays to ‘bring a rich depth of uniqueness and modern relevancy to celebrating national pride’. Adidas says the kits will also ‘push the boundaries in sustainable performance’, and feature its sustainable PRIMEGREEN and PRIMEBLUE materials, as well as its HEAT.RDY technology to help keep athletes cool whilst competing in what it says could be the hottest games on record.

“It’s such a proud feeling to be unveiling the kit, especially given how hard the last year has been,” said Team GB gymnast, Max Whitlock.

“The Olympic games is a pinnacle sporting event, and I am so excited to be heading out to Tokyo wearing a kit that unites us as a team but also allows me to stand out as an individual and represent my country with pride.”

ParalympicsGB hopeful, Elliot Stewart added: “The last year has been filled with challenges and set-backs, but to be here at Somerset House with everyone unveiling the new kit is really special. We have all worked so hard to get to where we are now, and with Tokyo 2020 set to be a totally unique Games, we can be confident that we are putting our best feet forward in a kit that not only looks great but features the latest in innovative and sustainable technologies.”