German Winter Olympic uniform revealed

Germany unveiled its official team uniforms for the Sochi Winter Olympics at a runway show during the week. The colourful creation, inspired by the 1972 Munich Summer Games, has been defended against claims the colour scheme is a political protest against Russian anti-gay laws.

The overall look is puffy and bright or, as German daily Die Tageszeitung described it, “a cross between a pot-bellied pig and a parrot”.

But there certainly seems to be a rainbow theme  – some are saying that the rainbow uniforms are a subtle political statement against Russia’s anti-gay policies.

The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), however, disputes any political message that could be read into the uniforms. A DOSB spokesperson said that “the uniforms are not a protest,” and that the designs had been finalised before the Russia protests had even begun. Michael Vesper, general director of the DOSB, said: “This is just a fashionable jacket”.