An editor I know was lucky enough to be in Paris for the start of the Summer Olympics. She watched beach volleyball played under the Eiffel Tower, bought tickets to tennis matches in the same stadium where the French Open is held, and generally said that the whole experience unlocked her inner sporty girl. Her only real regret was that the official products for the Games left something to be desired.
After scrolling through the offerings online, I can see what she means. When you wake up at 5 a.m. to sit on the edge of the couch screaming at the screen, willing Simone Biles to land a jump you could never attempt yourself, not in your wildest dreams, you want to wear an oversized t-shirt with your gold medal smile on it, drinking coffee from a mug that has the same smile on it – not a hoodie that just has “Paris 2024” printed across the chest.
Luckily, independent makers on Etsy get it, and a cottage industry of cool, “unofficial” products is dedicated to Team USA’s many famous female athletes (who are taking the country by storm) medal count and shining brightly in the City of Lights) has been popping up on the site over the past few weeks. Think: vintage-style band T-shirts, stickers, pins, posters, and more. And while the Paris Games end on August 11, you’ll want to hold onto this merchandise for much longer: Most (if not all) of the athletes below will grace your screens repeatedly in the years to come, from World Championship rugby matches and gymnastics events to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where they’ll have a chance to go for gold in front of a home crowd.
Sha’Carri Richardson
U.S. women’s track and field sprinters have a history of being as well-known for their PRs as their personal styles. This dates back to the heyday of Florence Griffith Joyner, who set the still-unbreakable records for the women’s 100m and 200m in 1988.
Just like Flo-Jo, Sha’Carri Richardson Richardson is known for sporting long hair and even longer nails (not to mention her reputation as the fastest woman in the world right now). After winning her first Olympic medal over the weekend — a silver in the women’s 100m — Richardson still has one more chance to go for gold in the women’s 4x100m relay later this week.
The Golden Girls
It’s a longstanding tradition for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to come up with a nickname for themselves before Olympic competitions, and this year was no exception. After winning their fourth consecutive gold medal in the team competition on July 30, Simone Biles revealed a funny (albeit NSFW) nickname at a post-win press conference — she later posted on social media that the “official team name is ‘Golden Girls’” because, like Biles addedThis year’s group is the oldest in U.S. Olympic history.
Ilona Maher
Team USA Rugby Center Ilona Maher proved to be one of the first breakout stars of the Paris Olympics when he helped his team secure their first olympic medal in sports — a bronze that came as a result of a thrilling final match against Australia on July 30. Proving that his slogan, “Beast, Beauty, Brains,” is more than just a slogan, Maher has opened his official merchandise store, where you can find T-shirts, tank tops, coffee mugs and even candles bearing his image. The only thing missing? Tubes of her signature red lipstick.
Simone Biles
In what is sure to be one of the cutest moments of this summer’s Olympic Games, Maher let her TikTok followers (and the world) in on a little-known tradition among Olympic athletes last week: exchanging custom pins. She shared a video Biles, who became the most decorated Olympic gymnast in history at the Paris Games, bringing her the sentimental memento on Aug. 1. While neither Maher nor Biles are selling their custom pins to fans at the moment, you can still get in on the trend with a lapel pin designed in Biles’ likeness.
Trinity Rodman
Much like her famous father (former NBA forward Dennis Rodman), Trinity Rodman is quickly becoming known for her colorful hairstyles and near-superhuman athletic abilities. A star forward, Rodman already has three goals in Paris. Fans will be keeping an eye out for her signature pink braids, as well as her “Trin Spin” as she takes the field with the rest of the U.S. women’s national soccer team on Aug. 6 in the semifinal match against Germany.
Katie Ledecky
Attending Katie Ledecky Finishing the 1500m freestyle race ahead of the rest of the field on July 31 is a moment that will go down in history. Not only did she become the most decorated Olympic swimmer to touch the wall, but she also set a new Olympic record record. Four days later, she won her fourth consecutive title. gold medal in the women’s 800m freestyle.