Pride in What You Wear: The Athlete Impact of the ANOC-Peak Uniform Programme
By Gaby Ahrens, Chairwoman, ANOC Athletes’ Commission
Every athlete wants to feel equal when they compete at Olympic events. Not just in competition, but in everything that surrounds it. For smaller NOCs with fewer resources than some of their counterparts, this is not always possible. But I believe the ANOC-Peak Uniform Programme is helping to address that in a small, yet significant way.
At the heart of the Olympic Movement lies a powerful idea: that every athlete, regardless of the size or resources of their nation, deserves the opportunity to stand proudly on the world stage and represent their country with dignity. And one of the most visible and meaningful elements of participation in the Games is the team uniform, and the pride you feel wearing the colours of your nation. Yet for many athletes from smaller NOCs, that reality can be hard to achieve.
The ANOC Peak NOC Uniform Programme addresses this directly. Through this initiative, ANOC and Peak are providing high-quality team uniforms to athletes and officials from 48 smaller NOCs, supporting their participation in the Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games through to Brisbane 2032.
Wearing a uniform of the same quality as the largest delegations matters – and I know this from experience. When athletes enter the Olympic Village, participate in ceremonies, and interact with fellow competitors from around the world, the uniform is a symbol of pride and recognition. For athletes from smaller delegations, having access to equipment of the same standard as larger teams reinforces our feeling that we are fully part of the Olympic community.
And the programme’s introduction at Milano Cortina 2026 has been an undoubted success. Uniforms were produced for seven NOCs preparing for potential qualification and ultimately two of those teams, Benin and Malta, secured their places at the Games and proudly wore the Peak uniforms as part of their Olympic journey. That one of those athletes was Nathan Tchibozo, the first Benin athlete to compete at an Olympic Winter Games, said everything about what the ANOC-Peak Uniform Programme can mean.
The next major milestone will be the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, where the programme will kit out hundreds of young athletes heading for their first-ever Olympic experience. The programme runs in alignment with the IOC Sport Competition Uniform Supply Programme, delivered in partnership with the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry, ensuring athletes from smaller NOCs are equipped for both team apparel and competition.
As Chair of the ANOC Athletes’ Commission, I will be watching every step of this programme’s development closely. Partners like Peak, who choose to invest in athletes from the smallest delegations, are the ones who make equality in sport more than a slogan. The next six years will show what that commitment is really worth.
Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images and Gaby Ahrens (Personal Archive)
