Suni Lee

I ended up watching her win twice -- once on CBC, where I actually got to watch just about every routine in the competition (imagine that), and once on NBC which generally prefers you to think the only competitors were Russia, Brazil, and the USA. And it was lovely both times. I was spoiled on the outcome, and glad of it, because I could not have stomached the beam otherwise. (I actually make a point of knowing the results before I watch gymnastics; I can't handle it otherwise.)

Suni Lee

ANYWAY. I like this leotard. She looked wonderful all around and I am just so delighted for her, her family, and her whole hometown. One reason the Olympics still mean something to me is stories like theirs, and how much the Olympics mean to THEM.

Jade Carey

Jade's leo is a lot more boring. She took Simone's spot in the all-around because she unexpectedly (I think) was the next-best score in the team qualifiers. She had come to Tokyo just to do the event final for vault. What a ride, to suddenly be doing ALL your routines for all the marbles. Jade finished eighth, which I believe is one spot better than in prelims? Good for her. She handled herself so well.

Simone Biles

I mean. If you have lost your ability to gauge your own twisting, it is definitely a good idea NOT to do this! I did love this leotard so much, though. It isn't photographing here as well; it looked PERFECT on TV.

Grace McCallum

Here's another shot of it, because... I like downloading lots of photos, okay?

You can see a bit better the richness of the blue here. Jade and MyKayla Skinner are in red because they were the event specialists, and I guess... I don't know if they had to or chose to wear different leotards, but they did. And they're nice, but no comparison.

Jordan Chiles

These were the team finals, and I like it but it could also be from any one of a ton of countries. I feel like they might have wasted the sparkly star leotards on the prelims? Also HI JORDAN, you did great, and you were the BIGGEST cheerleader for Suni Lee. Love it. MyKayla Skinner also said Jordan did all their braids.

Rebeca Andrade

She won the first-ever medal for Brazil in gymnastics, which is so exciting for her. I felt so sad for her, though; her floor routine is really good and her tumbling passes were neat, and she just had two blown landings that cost her the gold (if my math is right). She should be so proud; she did SO well, and her leotard is adorable.

Flavia Saraiva

Flavia, her teammate, got hurt. This is their team's other kit, and it does have a little Carnivale feel to it, but I like that Rebeca's -- under the big lights -- was unquestionably Brazil.

Angelina Melnikova

You can't really see her face here, but trust me that Elle Fanning can play her when they make the movie of these games. Normally I like when leotards speak to national colors, but it seems right and appropriate to me that if Russian athletes are not allowed to compete under their flag, they shouldn't necessarily rep their colors either -- which they are allowed to do; I just think it's weird (and it's why the warm-up outfits in their flag pattern were kind of an eyebrow-raise for a lot of people). Basically, I have nothing against the athletes, but I think this "ban" starts to feel perfunctory and for show at a certain point.

Vladislava Urazova

This is a very dramatic leotard. It even has a V for VERY.

Viktoriia Listunova

This has sort of an Olympic flame feel.

Pauline Schaefer-Betz

The German team has caused a stir because they're wearing unitards instead of leotards, and I think it's GREAT. First, these are gorgeous, even if they don't scream GERMANY in their colors. Second, it hurts literally no one to wear pants instead of a leotard -- it's why it's absurd to FORCE women's handball players to wear tiny bikinis if that's not what they want. Good for this team for doing what they need.

With apologies, this was the only way to get a shot of Germany's OTHER outfit. To her left is Switzerland, I believe, which is a terrible leotard. The rest of the lineup is... shoot, I think I accidentally cut out Canada, but second from the left of this shot is Spain.

Tang Xijing

This is another one that absolutely does not say China to me, color-wise. I know that's not a RULE, but it's always nice. For example...

Tang Xijing

... that is fabulous.

Lu Yufei

I guess the red stamp/logo is supposed to do the work. I like this leo, but there doesn't seem to be that much consistency across them, either. Consider the next...

I mean, that is ORNATE, and in a whole different way than the other three.

Olympics Artistic Gymnastics, Tokyo, Japan - 25 Jul 2021

And a fifth version! Just as a side note: There are obviously a lot of teams I don't have, and some teams were WAY more heavily photographed than others, so that explains the imbalance here a little.

Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos, France

I was rooting for her; I like her. (GYMNASTICS GOSSIPS: Tell me if I'm wrong.) I like the unitard, also. I appreciate strong shoulder action.

Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos

Ook, that's neat. Simple but cool.

Nina Derwael, Belgium

She was sort of a hoot. This uniform is SO dramatic and nifty and in the appropriate flag colors. When she did her floor, the CBC commentators were like, "She has... REALLY gone out on a limb with her choreography," and it really did have some "Julia Stiles At The End of Save The Last Dance" vibes.

Let us pause to consider: Is there anything as terrifying in the men's side of the sport? They do a LOT of feats of strength, and many of them are high, but balance doesn't seem to be as much of a demand. The high bar looks hard, but the women have a whole other bar they can whack if they aren't careful. To me, the pommel horse looks the least fun to practice, possibly followed by the parallel bars, because landing on your armpits must hurt. But again... the beam gives me SWEATS and I'm just in a chair in my house.

This was mis-captioned as Team GB, but it's Belgium, which you can see if you zoom in on the logo on her hip. It's pretty cool actually -- Belgium did some good sartorial work here.

Marina Nekrasova, Azerbaijan

"YOU'RE TELLING ME THE F'ING MEN DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BEAM *OR* CHILDBIRTH????"

Jessica Gadirova

I didn't love this from a distance but up close I at least get the abstract flag art it's attempting. Is that the opposite of a Monet?

Alice Kinsella

This is the photonegative of that, in a way.

Jennifer Gadirova

Jennifer is Jessica's twin sister. Love it. They had a very up and down meet, as the all-around did not go very well...

Alice Kinsella,Jennifer Gadirova, Jessica Gadirova and Amelie Morgan

But, a team bronze! (Wait, while I love this photo, I don't think the leotards look as good in it.)

Martina Maggio, Italy

Yes, Italy. I would NEVER have guessed Italy based on just the leotard.

Alice D'Amato, Italy

Alice finished last in the all-around -- which is not really last; there are a million gymnasts who won't even get this far! -- and looks here like she is praying to the gymnastics gods to get a do-over. I look at this and think... my body does not bend like this. Not even close. Alice, you are a miracle, don't let anyone tell you different.

Alexa Moreno, Mexico

I like this one! It's another one that could be from... pretty much anywhere and I would not have guessed Mexico based on anything about it.

Marina Gonzalez, Spain

The vault is bananas too. I'm afraid of the beam but let's not sleep on how scary it must be to just sort of hope your hands land where you need them to on this thing.

Mai Murakami, Japan

I... cannot dislike the poo sleeve enough.

Milka Gehani Elpitiya Badalge Dona of Sri Lanka

I wonder if that looked better under the lights. It's very flat in photos.

Eythora Thorsdottir, The Netherlands

"Is THIS one okay?" Yes, Eythora! It is.

Sanne Wevers

This looks like something from a light show.

This is my favorite photo because if you look at it casually, it looks like she's straddling the beam and resting her forehead on it in complete capitulation, which was me in every gymnastics unit we had in elementary PE.

Sanne Wevers, Netherlands

I wish I got to see more of this one! Orange is their signature hue, after all. (A great example of how that's isn't a color in their flag, at ALL, but it's easily and readily identifiable with that country nonetheless and they use it so well.)

Shallon Olsen, Canada

Canada had a rough go; Ellie Black had to pull out of the all-around with a leg injury, and I don't think the others had a TON of experience. Either Shallon here or Brooklyn Moors hadn't even taken an international flight before. [CORRECTION It was Ava Stewart, the other one. This is what I get for working while watching -- both get the short shrift.] I don't LOVE this version of the unitard -- the background reads as kind of a dirty grey -- but the cascade of maple leafs is neat.

Shallon Olsen

That is a commitment to fonts, among other things.

Daiki Hashimoto, Japan

It's exciting to see someone win on home soil, even without a crowd. I like that shirt.

Daiki Hashimoto, Japan

I really like this one, too, and it obviously speaks to my boring preference that the colors reference the flag. (It's not an across-the-board preference, but sometimes with the athletes that AREN'T going to get spotlighted as much, it's nice to be able to tell where they're from when you DO see them.)

Ruoteng Xiao

I really liked the tank tops on the Chinese men.

Sam Mikulak

This looks like someone threw bleach on him and it landed in the shape of an eagle. It ALSO looks like he's concerned about his crotch.

Yul Moldauer

This one looks like a page in your passport.

Here's a closer look. Lord, these uniforms really whacked the concept of AMERICA!!!!!! on the nose with a bat.

Paul Juda

THIS sort of feels like something they'd sell at Target on the 4th of July.

Caio Souza, Brazil

"SHIT YES THIS DOES HURT."

Arthur Mariano, Brazil

Brazil really did nail it this year, costume-wise.

Artur Dalaloyan, ROC

"This feels GREAT but I'm going to pretend it hurts for the cameras." (I like this design.)

Stirrup pants just truly never will leave as long as men's gymnastics has its way.

Nikita Nagornyy, ROC

He apparently apologized for only winning all-around bronze. He should have apologized for that SHIRT. ... I'm kidding, it's not that bad. It's very dramatic. I don't know what that crest is, but it's a LOT. [EDITED: Apparently it is indeed their country's crest.]

James Hall, Great Britain

Meh. That looks like a banner you'd hang from a lamppost to advertise, like, a museum exhibit or something.

James Hall

Better.

Joe Frazer, Britain

That version is VERY boring and strange and diluted.

Christian Baumann, Switzerland

Snazzy!

Nestor Abad, Spain

MESSY. But also snazzy.

Turner Bart Deurloo, Netherlands

"ORANGE YOU GLAD WE DON'T DO THE BEAM???"

Oksana Chusovitina

But I had to give the last spot to Oksana, the legend, who is finally hanging it up. At 46, she was still willing to throw herself at that thing one more time. There is something both bonkers and beautiful about that. Gymnastics is clearly one of her truest loves, and no one got to tell her she had to let it go just because THEY thought it was time.

She has competed under three different teams -- "the United Team," Germany, and Uzbekistan -- and holds the record (per Wiki) for individual titles on a single apparatus: the vault. She's won nine and has been competing in this sport since 1988, at least (she won Juniors that year in the USSR). What a ride. Xayr, do'stim! We'll miss you.

Well Played: The Leotards of the Olympic Games

And of course, the athletes.