History will be made at the Summer Olympics in London.
History will also be made at the Opening Ceremonies, thanks to one unlucky Australian.
Australian Olympic shooter Russell Mark will wear a “mankini” at the opening ceremonies of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, after losing a bet, according to The Telegraph. The outfit, which was inspired by Sacha Baron Cohen‘s 2006 film Borat is an extremely revealing neon swimsuit. Mark, who won the gold medal in the double trap at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, bet that he would wear the mankini if Carlton lost to St. Kilda in the Australian Football League.
Before the game on May 12, Mark tweeted: “Hold the phone!!!! In 40 hours from now Carlton will have 17 teams BELOW them on the AFL ladder. Go Blues!!”
Unfortunately for Mark, Carlton was defeated by St. Kilda to the tune of a four-goal blowout. However, Mark didn’t sound worried at all when he revealed the bet on a local radio station.
“Anyway, a lot of people would think a mankini might look better than the uniform they’ve nominated for us, so I don’t know if it’s such a bad thing,” he said.
Even the Olympian himself questioned his confidence in the bet.
“Oh, I must’ve been intoxicated. Carlton promise so much and just deliver so little. It kills me,” Mark said.
One Australian Olympic Committee spokesperson says that the 48-year-old could be in an even bigger spotlight than the one the “uniform” will bring.
“Besides, this will be his sixth Olympics and he [has] a chance to be named as flag bearer. Imagine the flag bearer out in front of our team in a mankini. And a big, butch shooter at that.”
The spokesman said aside from his appearance, he wouldn’t want Mark to “catch a cold”. According to one of Mark’s latest tweets, he does not seem to be changing his mind.
“OK OK so what’s the correct protocol for wearing a mankini? F#&king Carlton stop breaking my heart!!!”
When the opening ceremonies begin on July 27, Mark may be giving viewers more to watch for than their country’s flag.
