4 minute read
Who would have thought that dryrobe would be official team kit at Rio Olympic games? How did this all come about and what is the Adidas connection?
Well as we understand, the athletes already using dryrobe informed Adidas that this was the kit they needed. We have worked with many elite athletes in the past 6 years but it was still quite a surprise to get a phone call from the mighty Adidas. It was an exciting time with lots going on in the office, but I remember when Sharon showed us the first email from them we did have to have a quick look to check that it wasn't a prank.
The chance to have Team GB athletes wearing dryrobes at Rio 2016 was the stuff of dreams and we worked for over a year towards making it happen, the whole time keeping our involvement hidden from the public and the other international teams.
The advantage the athletes would get from using the dryrobes was key to the decision making around when we could announce our involvement. After the games was the call.
You might have noticed that there were some key differences with the dryrobes in use at the Olympic games, most noticeably where was our logo? Well, it was there, big and bold but on the inside due to the televised sponsorship issues and the mega-deal that Adidas have with the Olympic Games. The dryrobe performance was the same and the Olympic team dryrobes also featured the new zip-off sleeve, which offers the short and long sleeve versatility, all in one.
dryrobe was an official supplier of Team GB kit, working with Adidas to supply the diving, triathlon and swimming teams across both the Olympics and Paralympics. The weather-proof, outdoor change robe was spotted throughout the Games and was worn by an array of leading athletes.
"dryrobe is one of those products you don't know you need until you put one on"
Probably one of the most notable exposures for dryrobe was Paralympian Ellie Robinson’s iconic entrance, before confidently winning gold in record time during the 50M Butterfly final. Her entrance in the dryrobe®attracted attention across social media, being described as ‘gangster’ by some - but her choice of clothing captured the imagination of the watching public.
The dryrobe was getting talked about by presenters who were discussing its function and why the athletes were using the dryrobes. We were surprised to hear them being called dryrobes by name too. Obviously, they had been getting some attention.
"The dryrobe was born from necessity, now it’s now used by sporting stars in world events"
Gideon Bright, owner and creator of dryrobe®, said:
dryrobe Ltd have also worked with a selection of organizations who have embraced the dryrobe ‘stay warm’ philosophy such as British Para-Swimming and Diving, GBR Lifesaving Team, USA Lifesaving Team, various Red Bull events, the Royal Lifesaving Society, Sport Relief challenges and many other reputable sporting and endurance-focused companies & events.“What an unbelievable Games! We are extremely proud of our association with Team GB at Rio games, their most successful yet and we are honored that dryrobe was chosen to supply the athletes, working in collaboration with Adidas, as an official supplier to the swimming, triathlon and diving teams Olympic & Paralympic teams.
“Since the development of the first-ever dryrobe, we have continued to develop a product that performs for athletes at the highest levels. Our performance technical kit has become well respected, and is used by some of the world’s best athletes. It is great to hear that the athletes were the people who instigated the talks which led to our collaboration with Adidas for the Rio 2016 Team GB kit.”
#dryrobeterritory