USA Women’s Gymnastics Leotards Were a Nod to 1996, 1984 Games

Former gymnast Shannon Miller is loving the USA women’s gymnastics team’s Olympics leotards just as much as Us.

Miller, 47, explained the design behind the day 4 leotards that the USA team — which includes Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Hezly Rivera, Jade Carey and Suni Lee — wore at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Tuesday, July 30. “A lot of people don’t know that their leotards were a throwback to the ’96 team,” Miller, who competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, told NBC News on Tuesday.

She continued, “And our ’96 leotards were a throwback to the ’84 team, so it is just history.”

The leotards featured one blue sleeve that was embellished with sparkly stars and a white body covered in red glittery stripes, representing the American flag.

Miller’s 1996 version of the leotard was complete with a blue-and-white starry arm and a red-and-white striped pattern across the chest. While much less sparkly than the 2024 leos, the gear still featured a few crystals lining the piece’s stripes and cuffs.

While competing on the balance beam, Miller wore her blonde hair in a curly ponytail held together with a white scrunchie. She let her wispy bangs fall over her forehead.

The original 1984 leotard design featured a single striped sleeve and a blue-and-white star pattern across the bodice.

On Tuesday, the U.S. team took home the gold medal for the women’s gymnastics team competition, marking their first trophy during the Paris games.

With their latest win, Biles, 27, surpassed Miller as the most decorated American Olympic gymnast. (Biles has eight Olympic medals, and Miller has seven.)

Elsewhere in the NBC News interview, Miller reacted to Biles breaking her record. “I am so happy,” she gushed. “My heart is full because I know, as an athlete, what it takes to win a gold medal, and these ladies have been through it all on the road to get here.”