Leotards and Olive Wreaths

[Piel]

Some champions placed their olive wreaths, which BTW I think are one of the coolest things about these Olympics, over their hearts for the national anthem while some left them on their heads. What is correct olive wreath etiquette? Should they be treated as a head covering and removed or are they part of the award like the medal and should be left on? As they were THE award at the original Olympics I can see leaving them on. OTOH, I thought that the athletes that placed theirs over their heart looked very classy.

Leotards, some of the ladies wore ones that were in their country's colors, while others were colors that just seemed to be picked at random. Which do you like best? I liked the ones that the U.S. ladies wore tonight much better than the ones worn for the team competition. Did you notice that Khorkina changed for the medal ceremony?

[Longhornliz]

Piel,

My friends and I had these 2 EXACT conversations tonight!!! We decided that there probably wasnt wreath ettiquite, but we noticed that the swimmers for the most part were taking them off... maybe becuase they had wet hair? JK I think that its showing pride either way.

I really liked the mens leotards much better, all the shiny sparkly fabric distracts from the body line in my opinion. But I do prefer when the colors correspond with the colors on the flag... like there was nothing "australian" about the purple leotard and I kept forgetting which country that gymnast was representing.

[BronzeisGolden]

I guess I am very traditional. I prefer when the leotards at least reflect one color from a nation's flag. The U.S. ladies leotards for the All-Around were the best. They were very simple and I loved the Olympic rings on the chest.

Also, I thought it was wonderful when the athletes removed their olive wreaths for the National Anthem. But, then again....I am Southern born and raised! But really, it was a nice mix of the ancient and the modern coming together. I thought it was a classy move.

[soogar]

I didn't get why Sveta changed for the medal ceremony either. Maybe she sweated a lot in the other leotard or maybe she wanted to wear a Russian team leotard on the podium (the new leotard had the Russian colors). However I loved the leotard she competed with (the rhinestones were very tasteful and the flesh bit looked elegant). The American all around leotards really sucked. I just don't like red illusion fabric.

[Ladskater]

I guess I am very traditional. I prefer when the leotards at least reflect one color from a nation's flag. The U.S. ladies leotards for the All-Around were the best. They were very simple and I loved the Olympic rings on the chest.

Also, I thought it was wonderful when the athletes removed their olive wreaths for the National Anthem. But, then again....I am Southern born and raised! But really, it was a nice mix of the ancient and the modern coming together. I thought it was a classy move.

Well, Americans usually do put their hand over their heart or remove their cap or hat for the National Anthem - I lived in the States for about five years and attended grade three to six - this I remember well. So, not surprising the athletes would remove their wreaths for their Anthem.

Proper etiquette? I guess one would have to ask a Greek person. They probably would leave the wreath on for their anthem. I guess one could do as the saying goes "when in Rome do as the Romans do."

[JonnyCoop]

I agree as well that leotards should in some way reflect the country you are representing; this isn't the McDonald's Invitational, after all.

I'm not surprised at all that Khorkina changed clothes for the ceremony; the woman probably changes clothes about 15 times a day under ordinary circumstances, in keeping up with her "Diva" thang.....

[berthes ghost]

But I do prefer when the colors correspond with the colors on the flag... like there was nothing "australian" about the purple leotard and I kept forgetting which country that gymnast was representing.

It's not just the leotards. I can't for the life of me understand why all of the Aussie warm-up suits, opening ceremony clothes, etc.. are green. I get the orange for the Dutch, but why are the Aussie's all in green?

Edited to add: I do understand the desire to differentiate, since about half of all the flags in the world are red, white and blue.

[Piel]

The American swimmers had black hats and their suits looked black or navy and gray/silver. I thought that maybe the suit material was only avaiable in limited colors???

[Ptichka]

Edited to add: I do understand the desire to differentiate, since about half of all the flags in the world are red, white and blue.

Actually, the only R-W-B flags are (I am not listing UK colonies, or flags that have a little white in them, such as Denmark or Norway): UK, Myanmar, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, North Korea, Laos, Liberia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Russia, US, Samoa, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand -- 29. A lot, but not half the world (Yah, yah, I know, a real geek)

[tvcats]

As an aside:
I guess I am more senile than I suspected. I was born, raised, and have lived in the USA my entire life (spans 50+ years). And we never put our hands over our hearts for the National Anthem. We did it for the Pledge of Allegiance, but not for the Anthem. We were taught to stand upright and face the flag, with our arms at our sides in a respectful manner.
Having said that, I have noticed in recent years that folks have started doing that during the Anthem. And I have no objection to it. But I don't remember it being taught as part of the "etiquette" of the Anthem.

[Piel]

I have seen ball players place their hats over their hearts for the national anthem. In high school we had to take our majorette hats off for it too ( resulting in very bad hat hair :( ).

Also, I have heard arguments back and forth for changing our national anthem from "The Star Spangeled Banner" to "America The Beautiful" for different reasons, one being that TSSB is too difficult to sing. I for one get chills every time I hear it and think that the music has a majesty to it that is lacking in ATB.

[A.H.Black]

I think Michael Phelps started the trend of removing the wreath during the Anthem. Then, I noticed him reminding everyone to remove theirs during the relay medal cermony.

I also don't think there is a particular protocal concerning the wreaths. It's nice when the thought occurs to take it off but it's not a big deal if someone forgets.

The more annoying thing for me is the version of the National Anthem that is being used. It sounds like something out of a memorial service rather than something appropriate for a sporting event. I'm wondering who chose it and what their reasoning was.

[Mathman]

Also, I have heard arguments back and forth for changing our national anthem from "The Star Spangeled Banner" to "America The Beautiful" for different reasons, one being that TSSB is too difficult to sing. I for one get chills every time I hear it and think that the music has a majesty to it that is lacking in ATB.

It's thrilling because it's our national Anthem. But I think the Star Spangled Banner does have a couple of problems -- the music and the words.

First, the range is so great that only a professional singer can sing it at all. In fact, in the last NBA Championships, when the series moved to Detroit, we put up three singers who we thought could cut it. The first, Anita Baker, flubbed badly. The second, Kid Rock, knew it was beyond his vocal powers so he tried America the Beautiful instead, his weak voice saved only by his background singers. (I guess M & M wasn't available.)

Finally, our backs up against the wall, we called in the Big Gun -- Aretha Franklin. She bailed, lip-syncing it.

The second problem -- if you look at the words, it's a big, long, convoluted run-on sentence -- no, I mean a run-on question -- which you can hardly make grammatical sense of. Then, just when you think it's finally over..."AND the rocket's red glare....!!!!"

I think we have the only National Anthem that ends with a question mark:

"the home of the brave?"

I love it! What a glorious hodgepodge, just like the good old U.S.A.!

Mathman

PS. Worst national anthem: Australia's. When they had Waltzing Matilda, that was so cool!

Plus, then their diplomats could say things like this (some Aussie official ended a speech like this recently, defending the decision of Australia to send troops in support of the U.S. adventure in Iraq):

"And wherever the United States leads in the fight against tyranny, ... we'll go a-waltzin' (Matilda) with you!"

[Joesitz]

There has been a push to make the hymn, America, the national anthem as well as God Bless America, for reasons Mathman explained very well. But both these works brought up the question of separation of church. I think but I am not sure, that the subject had been brought up to the Supreme Court.

Joe

[berthes ghost]

Actually, the only R-W-B flags are (I am not listing UK colonies, or flags that have a little white in them, such as Denmark or Norway): UK, Myanmar, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, North Korea, Laos, Liberia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Russia, US, Samoa, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand -- 29. A lot, but not half the world (Yah, yah, I know, a real geek)

You're not seeing the forest for the trees. While my exageration for dramatic effect may not be numericly accurate, I dare you to name another color combination that even comes close to being on 29 different flags.