‘Go USA’ Olympic mittens were made in China
The U.S. Olympic Committee has heavily promoted its red, white and blue “Go USA” mittens, hoping for a patriotic marketing success in advance of the 2014 Sochi Games.
The trouble is, the mittens are made in China.
This news comes on the heels of a controversy at the 2012 London Olympics, where it was discovered that portions of the Americans’ clothing was made overseas.
A USOC spokesman told the Associated Press that the mittens worn by athletes in the Sochi opening ceremony will be domestically produced. They can be purchased from Ralph Lauren for $98.
But the USOC, which receives no government funding, wanted to raise money by offering a $14 version on its website. That meant looking elsewhere for cheaper production.
“We wanted to create a fundraising opportunity where almost anyone could support Team USA,” spokesman Patrick Sandusky was quoted as saying.
The acrylic blue mittens have “Go” embroidered in red on one palm and “USA” embroidered in white on the other. With less than two months remaining until the Games, they have reportedly reached $500,000 in sales.
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