Zhik is no stranger to the Olympic podium, and this year the Aussie brand is proudly an official supplier to the Australian Olympic team as they compete on the world stage for Olympic glory at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Zhik have honed a world-beating range of performance water wear over 20 years of applying innovative thinking and refining products with top athletes from across the different Olympic disciplines.
Sustainability is at the core of the brand’s ethos, setting the industry bar in harnessing the most sustainable materials and manufacturing methods. Not only will this year’s Olympians be wearing performance enhancing clothing, but they can feel good about their environmental footprint while wearing it, too.
The Aussie team includes Breiana Whitehead in her Kite Foil Racing debut, Grae Morris in his Windsurfing debut, Zoe Thomson in her ILCA6 debut, Matt Wearn reigning gold medallist in the ILCA7, teams Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine and Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown in the Nacra 17, Jim Colley and Shaun Connor in the 49er and Nia Jerwood and Conor Nicholas in the Mixed 470 class.
Female athletes will be leveraging world firsts in Zhik’s female hikers, part of the widest women’s range Zhik has ever made (the latest range features more female products than male). Zhik’s Olympic women will also benefit from a new two-piece system, allowing a fully customisable fit to their individual shape, and a seal system that doesn’t allow water in or out.
For the ILCA class Zhik have engineered a double width hiking strap, 120mm over 50mm, using patented technology and grip patterns to compliment Zhik boots. Leveraged to win by Tom Burton in the Rio games, and Zhik athletes in Tokyo, the strap is coming to the rest of the world soon.
The kite foiling classes will use a new race harness at the Paris Games, streamlined and aerodynamic to give athletes competitive edge, alongside a light-weight aerodynamic suit. The suit, with fused seams, end-to-end spandex fabric and reinforced with a super flat surface across the body, is designed to focus the way air flows around the athlete.
Johnny Rodgers, Zhik’s Head of Marketing/Partnerships and Global sponsorship manager said, “We couldn’t be prouder to be part of the Olympic program again and the product range is superb. The kite suit is an Olympic secret weapon, a real superhero suit designed specifically for the Games.”
Already released, Zhik’s Eco Spandex UPF50+ top, the P3 Sailing PFD, H1 Protection Helmet and Microfleece® Sailing Hikers will also be going to the Games, celebrated by the world’s best in sport.
Mat Belcher, Zhik CEO said, “It’s an incredibly proud moment for Zhik to have such a close connection to the Australian sailing team, the second time we can support the Olympic Team coming into Paris.”
