Decathlon unveils official kit for Paris Olympics volunteers

The organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games brought together 20,000 event volunteers on Saturday March 23 at La Défense Arena in the French capital. For the occasion, Decathlon unveiled the 15-item official kit the volunteers will wear at the Olympics.

The collection was described as eco-designed, consistent with the goal the sport retailer has set itself of only producing eco-designed items by 2026. The kit includes trousers made with 84% recycled polyamide, a t-shirt, top and gilet in recycled polyester, organic cotton socks, a sun-protection hat made with SPF50+ fabric, and a 5-litre cross-shoulder bag.

Decathlon’s Olympic volunteer collection is 53% made in France. The t-shirts and socks are produced in factories in Roubaix, Marseilles, Troyes and Orléans, notably tapping ethical local companies belonging to the Resilience and Fil Rouge organisations.

A total of one million units will be produced in France, including 250,000 t-shirts. The imported items will be produced in Asia, and Decathlon indicated that maritime freight will be used. Decathlon told FashionNetwork.com that it found Asian manufacturers able to produce large quantities of recycled polyester garments with a short lead time.

The kit will be available in sizes from XS to 4XL, and the clothes will be able to withstand the vagaries of the weather, from intense heat to wind and rain, during the event. Some 45,000 volunteers in total will be involved in the Paris 2024 Olympics.