Editor’s note: Columbus swimmer Michael Brinegar is among the Olympic athletes competing in Tokyo this summer….
NEW YORK (AP) — The Team USA flag bearers in steamy Tokyo will likely be the coolest members of their packs.
Ralph Lauren has built a personal air conditioning system into a roomy white jacket to be worn by the yet-unannounced athletes who will have that honor during opening ceremonies for the Olympics and Paralympics, the company said Wednesday.
The technology disperses heat from the wearer’s skin through a fan device at the back of the neck, with a lightweight personal battery controller stashed inside. It’s akin to how large computers are kept cool.
“The more we can think about our personal space and personal thermal dynamics, that’s the future that we’re all going to have to think about,” said David Lauren, Ralph Lauren’s son, vice chairman of the company’s board, and chief branding and innovation officer.
The rest of the team will walk in tailored navy blazers made of U.S.-grown wool, a red Olympic patch on one breast and the company’s Polo Pony emblem on the other.
They’ll wear a horizontal blue-and-white striped T-shirt dyed in a process that uses less water, chemicals and energy, slim blue denim pants and a flag-print scarf.
The athletes’ striped belts are made of recycled plastic water bottles. A patch on the back of the pants is a nod to leather alternatives, this one made of plant-based materials and agricultural byproducts free of synthetic plastics.
And Ralph Lauren didn’t forget the masks. They’ll be solid navy in cotton with a tiny American flag on one side.
