US warns Olympic athletes: Wearing team colors in Sochi puts you at risk

Ralph Lauren's red, white and blue U.S. Winter Olympic team uniforms might be great  for strutting the New York City catwalks, but could put your life at risk on the streets of Sochi.

As they unveiled their Olympic outfits Thursday, officials cautioned competing American athletes to keep them under wraps outside the Sochi Winter Games sports venues.

A memo sent to athletes by the U.S. Olympic Committee cautions the athletes to avoid wearing team colors too prominently in Sochi amid heightened concerns about security and terrorist threats in the southern Russian resort town, reported The Wall Street Journal.

"The U.S. Department of State has advised that wearing conspicuous Team USA clothing in non-accredited areas may put your personal safety at greater risk," says the memo.

The memo, which details steps athletes can take to ensure their safety during the games, cautions them to avoid wearing team colors too prominently outside of the 1,500-mile so-called “Ring of Steel” security perimeter established by Russian security forces.

Designer Ralph Lauren unveiled the official uniforms that American athletes will wear to the Opening ceremony Thursday. The uniforms feature a red, white and blue knit patchwork cardigan emblazoned with big stars, an American flag, and the Olympic rings.

“A dynamic mix of patriotic references in a classic color palette of red, white and navy defines the Ralph Lauren 2014 Team USA Opening ceremony uniform, which is proudly Made in America,” the company said in a statement.

Greg Bretz, a member of the men’s halfpipe team, told the Wall Street Journal that U.S. Olympic officials “have told us not to wear our USA gear outside of the venues,” but added, “I have so much faith in the United States and our safety that I’m not too worried about it.”

Concerns about safety in Sochi have prompted some Olympians to tell their loved ones to stay home, however. One of them is Canadian goaltender Mike Smith, who said he doesn’t want to expose his wife and kids to any unnecessary risk.

“They’re not gonna go. It’s not worth it,” Smith told FOX Sports Arizona’s Todd Walsh. “For myself, it’s about thinking if [my wife is] OK when I’m not with her. It’s unfortunate, but it’s just the way it is.”

It sounds like the U.S. State Department's advice might apply to almost any country going to Sochi.

U.S. Olympic fundraising mittens made in China

Here we go again with the red, white and boos.

Less than two years after being criticized for having the U.S. Olympic team's uniforms made in China, the U.S. Olympic Committee has another wardrobe malfunction on its hands.

The red-white-and-blue mittens the group is selling to raise funds for winter athletes were produced in China.

Yup. A tag says "Made in China" right on the inside of the "Go USA" embroidered on the outside.

The USOC is charging $14 a pair for the blue hand-warmers that have the word "Go" embroidered in red on the left mitten and "USA" on the right. Also part of that left mitten is the tag, which says the gloves are "100% acrylic," ''One Size Fits Most" and "Made in China."

USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said the "official" mittens being worn by the athletes at the opening ceremony are made in the USA. They're also available to the public for $98 a pair on the Ralph Lauren Team USA website, which proudly proclaims its products are "Made in America" almost everywhere you look on the page for its official Team USA collection.

The foreign-made mittens are available at the USOC's official online shop of the U.S. Olympic Team.

The mittens are an American spin on an idea that started in Canada at the last Winter Games. The host country produced "Go Canada" mittens that turned out to be the hot item of the Olympics, raising more than $14 million for the Canadian team. Those mittens, which sold for $10 a pair, were made in China, too.

What should really outrage Americans is shelling out 98 bucks for a Ralph Lauren tag.

U.S. Olympic uniforms are 'Made in China'

The new Ralph Lauren-designed U.S. Olympic outfits — replete with a U.S. Olympic patch and Polo's "Big Pony" logo on each side of the blazer— have not only offended fashionistas for their snobby country club look, they have politicians up in arms about the "Made in China" label inside.

New York politicos like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Steve Israel have expressed their disgrace that the U.S. athletes will be wearing outsourced uniforms— while millions of Americans are out of work— in a letter to U.S. Olympic Chairman Lawrence Probst.

This is the third Olympics Lauren has outfitted the U.S. team.  The designer's preppy navy and white ensemble topped with a beret will be worn at the opening and closing ceremonies at the London Games and Polo will be providing casual clothes for athletes while they lounge around the Olympic Village.

Nike has made most of the competition uniforms and outfits the athletes for the medal stand.

Lauren's Hampton's lawn party look already has critics giving his design a bronze medal.  Now politicians feel China has already gotten the gold.