Tunnel #23 - A million-dollar sports bra
And Juventus reintroducing horizontal stripes with a brand new fourth kit
Jutta Leerdam has become the epitome of the athlete spokesperson. After winning a gold medal in speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, setting an Olympic record in the process, the Dutch skater unzipped her racing suit to reveal a Nike sports bra. This small marketing masterpiece could earn her a million-dollar contract, according to some estimates circulating in the Dutch media.
This gesture has been compared to that of Brandi Chastain after she scored the decisive penalty that won the 1999 World Cup for the US women’s national team. She knelt down, screaming with joy, with her sports bra, complete with Swoosh, in the foreground and her jersey clutched in her right hand. A true sign of empowerment. If anything, Leerdam’s gesture brings to mind the 1992 episode involving Michael Jordan.
While receiving his gold medal, he hid the logo of the US national team’s technical sponsor, who was a competitor of Nike. Similarly, by unzipping her top, Leerdam cleverly concealed her team’s technical sponsor, thereby highlighting a Nike garment. Consequently, the image that will forever commemorate her achievement will feature the Swoosh in the foreground. This is proof that while victories are fleeting, photographs (and advertising campaigns) are eternal.
The aesthetics of figure skating at the Olympics are unrivalled, from Dune-themed costumes to the amazing outfits crafted by Japanese designer Satomi Ito for Ilia Malinin. We also discovered that anniversary kits exist in curling too, the reason why backpacks are used in SkiMo races, and how much athletes earn for an Olympic medal. That’s a wrap: see you in 2030.
In this edition of our regular column, in which we explore brands that bridge the intersection of football and fashion, we introduce you to Studio Halftime and Cognomen.
Horizontal stripes are making a comeback on Juventus’s brand new fourth kit. ACG made its Champions League debut during Inter’s away trip to the Arctic Circle. PSG unveiled a new collaboration with Walk in Paris; Pompeii designed a new jersey and an anthem jacket for Real Racing Club; and we saw the first bit of collaboration between Jordan and Brazil.
Lazio is the latest Serie A club to present plans for a brand new stadium. This is the ultimate guide to all the potential new football grounds in Italy.
On has presented the first collection for the Italian Athletics Federation and it marks a major aesthetic shift.
We’ve been busy covering the Winter Olympics over the past few weeks, but we still found time to take a trip to Lapland and drive a Porsche 911 on the ice. See you next week!