40 Hilarious Olympic Outfit Mishaps That Went Down In History For All The Wrong Reasons

Let’s be honest here – we’ve all had to pull up a loose pair of pants at some point in time right? Unfortunately for Henrik Harlaut, though, he experienced slippage at the worst moment possible. Yes, the Swedish athlete was skiing at the Winter Olympics in 2014 when his trousers started to drop. Thank goodness he was wearing underwear!

When the American team were introduced to the crowd during the opening ceremony of the 2014 winter games, all eyes darted towards their outfits. What was going on here? That knitwear brings back memories of the bad jumpers you’d get for Christmas from your grandparents. Sorry Grandma, but it’s true! No amount of medals could improve those things.

The Olympics’ opening ceremony is no doubt a special moment for the competing athletes, as they take part in the “Parade of Nations.” Mind you, we wouldn’t blame any members of Team Canada for feeling a little hesitant back at the 1972 event. Just look at that get-up! From the hats to the dotted white shirts, it’s an outfit that stands out for all the wrong reasons.

No, that’s not a fan who’s made his way on to the slopes. It’s snowboarder Shaun White, sporting one of the strangest outfits to grace the Winter Olympics in 2010. The jeans are actually specialized trousers designed to look that way, capped off by a questionable coat. It was described as an “anti-uniform” at the time. We can think of a few other names.

Green isn’t always the easiest of colors to pull off, but it’s possible with the right design. Unfortunately for Team Australia, though, they had no such luck at the 2012 games. The athletes look like holiday reps in those blazers. And don’t get us started on the white trousers and skirts. A fashion misfire if there ever was one.

When Zola Budd took to the track at the 1984 Olympics, nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. Yet that quickly changed as soon as the race began. Can you see it? The runner wasn’t wearing any shoes! As it turned out, that was Budd’s preference – she practiced without them, too. One less thing to pack, right?

We can only imagine how awesome it must be for athletes who get to compete at an Olympics in their home country. It’s an event they’ll never forget. But for Yura Min, the 2018 winter games almost ended in disaster. The ice skater’s red dress came very close to falling apart thanks to a loosened latch. Thankfully, though, Min managed to hold it all in place. Phew!

Boy, would we like to know who thought this was a good idea. At the 1992 winter games, the Parade of Nations took a pretty bizarre turn. Yes, all of the competing countries were led out by someone in a snow globe costume. It really was as bad as it sounds. What a weird way to kick things off.

Figure skating tends to be among the most elegant events at the Winter Olympics, boasting some beautiful performances down the years. In Sergei Ponomarenko’s case, though, his display at the 1984 event is remembered for a very different reason. Following his routine, his shirt malfunctioned and revealed a pair of tighty-whities – a sight no one asked for.

First things first: what an incredible name. He could’ve easily gone with Richard! Anyway, Dick Button wasn’t afforded the type of outfit that athletes wear today back in 1948. Instead, he had to compete at that year’s winter games in nothing but a pair of pants and an ugly jumper. Imagine a modern competitor in that get-up.

There’s no denying the fact that a cool outfit gets the fans talking during the Parade of Nations. Then again, bad costumes are just as capable of creating a buzz. That was certainly the case with Team Germany at the 2014 Winter Olympics. This nightmarish rainbow design will leave your eyes begging for mercy.

We know what you’re thinking – when did Mr. Smee take up skiing? Captain Hook will be surprised! In all seriousness, that’s actually Michela Moioli of Italy reaching the end of a race at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Maybe the designers were inspired by Disney’s Peter Pan in the early stages of development?

Did the women in Team Hungary walk through a butchers’ store to get to the Parade of Nations in 2008? What a bizarre get-up. Especially when compared to their male counterparts’ plain white blazers. Thankfully, Zsuzsanna Jakabos’ beauty managed to steal some of the attention away from this horror-show in China. Just about.

When did Team McDonald’s earn a spot at the Olympics? Wait, that’s Spain? Oh dear. Yes, athletes from the Iberian nation sported this unfortunate number throughout the 2012 games. A yellow and red monstrosity that’ll live with them forever. Surely there was a better alternative? Ronald McDonald probably loved it, though!

While it mightn’t be the most glamorous of sports, curling is a really entertaining event at the Winter Olympics. Mind you, the Norwegian team threatened to overshadow the entire competition with their eye-popping trousers in 2018. It’s like looking at wallpaper from a house in the 1970s. And no, that’s not a compliment.

For a runner, choosing the right pair of sneakers is absolutely vital. In Michael Johnson’s case, though, he opted for some very flashy footwear at the 1996 Olympics. Yes, they’re gold. That decision bagged Johnson one of the great sporting monikers: “The Man With the Golden Shoes.”

Yee-haw! If you had any doubts that Team USA were looking for a rooting-tooting good time at the 1964 Olympics, the Parade of Nations squashed that notion. Yes, the male athletes were all decked out in white cowboy hats, along with dark blue blazers. Their female counterparts missed out on the headwear, though. Lucky them.

If you’re looking to swoon over glamorous outfits during the Olympic Games, then you can’t go wrong with the synchronized swimming event. Mind you, the Canadian team made a pretty big misstep in 2004. On that occasion, the ladies wore bathing suits with the Queen of Hearts sewn into the front. At least it wasn’t the Joker!

All eyes were on France’s Edgar Grospiron as he took to the slopes at the 1992 winter games. But part of him was watching the crowd, too! Creepily, his knee-pads had a pair of peepers printed on them. Maybe it was to help distract attention from that truly awful pattern on his sweater?

How about this for an Olympic legacy? Back at the 1988 winter games, Katarina Witt took to the ice in an outfit smothered with feathers. But that wasn’t the biggest distraction for the International Skating Union – it was the lack of a skirt. From there, the “Katarina rule” was put in place to ensure that it didn’t happen again.

As Team Tonga made their entrance at the 2018 Winter Olympics, the crowd were immediately drawn to the flag-bearer. We wonder why? Anyway, his name’s Pita Taufatofua, and he braved the cold conditions to wear nothing but a tribal skirt. Oh, and some baby oil. Jumpers and tracksuits be damned!

Wardrobe malfunctions can be cruel at the best of times, but poor Gabriella Papadakis experienced the mother of all mishaps during the 2018 winter games. While skating with her partner Guillaume Cizeron, Papadakis’ outfit came loose at the straps. So the French competitor spent part of the performance holding her top together. We feel her pain.

We don’t know about you, but we’re getting major cabin crew vibes from these suits. Alas, Team China just had to grin and bear it when they joined the Parade of Nations in 2012, strolling around in bright red blazers and yellow ties. The white pants didn’t help, either. They have our sympathy!

Stylish cycling outfits at the Olympics are a rare breed. A very rare breed. Yet even so, there can’t be any excuses for Team USA’s costume at the 2012 games in London, England. What an absolute disaster that was. Why would anyone design the crotch like that? It boggles the mind!

Not all bright suits are automatically terrible. In fact, with the right design, they can be pretty impressive. Unfortunately for Team Malaysia, though, their 2012 effort doesn’t fall into that category. We’ll be honest – it’s the pants. And those hats. Tiger print at the Olympics should never be a thing.

When rhythmic gymnasts get into full flow, it’s a truly incredible sight. Mind you, Aliya Garayeva threatened to overwhelm everyone’s senses with her costume at the 2012 games. Did the designer’s coloring pens explode all over the garment? There are different shades everywhere! Garayeva looked like a dancing bag of Skittles.

Ahead of the 2016 Olympics, the designers of Team Australia’s suits decided to go for a retro theme. Specifically, they wanted to create an outfit that harked back to the 1924 games. Too bad this was the result. White shorts and green pinstripe blazers is a combination we all could’ve done without seeing.

G-men at the Winter Olympics? How did we miss this? Well, it’s actually Team Russia at the Parade of Nations in 1992. Instead of wielding Tommy guns to go along with the long coats and hats, they’re waving small flags. These guys would look great as extras in a period crime movie!

White’s a pretty easy color to implement into a stylish outfit, wouldn’t you say? Well, Team Hong Kong proved otherwise at the 2012 Olympics. During the Parade of Nations, the athletes were decked out in pale suits that screamed “flight attendant” all the way. And no, the hats didn’t help.

Flowery designs can be touch and go at the best of times, but Team Japan really pushed the boat out at the 2004 games. For the Parade of Nations, they all wore white costumes with flower heads peppering the background. In truth, the competitors look like a group of over-enthusiastic botanists at a convention.

Unlike most Olympic wardrobe malfunctions, this one didn’t happen in the middle of a performance or parade. Instead, Olga Graf was the unwitting instigator, as she pulled down the zipper on her speed skater outfit following a race in 2014. Now this wouldn’t normally be a problem, but Graf didn’t have any underwear on. Oof! Thankfully for her, nothing got exposed.

Ah spandex, perhaps the most unforgiving of all materials. Unless you’re a superhero, this fabric is sure to cause you no end of problems. Christopher Spring found that out first-hand in 2014, as his stomach popped out of his bobsledding outfit. At least it happened in the Canadian’s hotel room ahead of the big race.

Have you ever split your trousers at the worst moment possible? Well, if so you have something in common with Great Britain’s Gillian Cooke. As the bobsledder was preparing to push off for a race, her spandex suit tore in comic fashion, revealing her backside. At least she was wearing underwear at the time!

When Katarina Witt took to the ice at the 1984 Winter Olympics, her choice of outfit raised a few eyebrows. It looks like a dress belonging to a china doll, doesn’t it? But despite her questionable garb, Witt went on to win gold at that event for East Germany. It’s burned into the history books, whether you like it or not.

As Team USA joined the Parade of Nations at the winter games in 1984, you couldn’t help but be drawn to their jackets. Sheepskin? Really? This is the Olympics, not a trip to the wilderness! And what’s with the cowboy hats? You could write a book on everything that’s wrong with this get-up.

During the synchronized swimming event at the 2012 Olympics, the crowd caught sight of a truly mind-boggling outfit. The Brazilian team were decked out in x-ray suits, with rib cages and hearts sewn into the fabric. Plus, the headwear was designed to look like brains. Could they double as Halloween costumes?

Creative costume designs at the Olympics will always get noticed, and Team Russia’s effort in 2012 was no exception. That’s not a good thing in this case, though. The athletes wore red and white jackets covered in horrible swirly lines, only broken up by the text across the chest. Bleurgh!

Imagine this: you’re a South Korean athlete who’s excited about the Winter Olympics. You’ve trained hard, and you can’t wait to get going. Then, you’re handed what’s perhaps the ugliest jacket in sporting history. That’s pretty much what happened in 1992, as the team wore a sickening, yellowish-green coat. And don’t get us started on the pattern. It’s so 1990s it hurts.

If you were tasked with associating a color with France, the answer would be simple. Blue, right? But a darker shade. Anyway, the French team at the 1976 Olympics went for something a little different. And it was horrible! Yes, the competitors wore an anemic blue for the Parade of Nations, along with some questionable hats.

Well... where do we start with this? The safari-theme might’ve been understandable if the 1992 Olympics were being held on the African continent. But they weren’t. Barcelona has a very different vibe. So Team Australia were left with a bamboozling outfit as they participated in the Parade of Nations. The shirt was something else, too. Our poor eyes!