Norway's men's curling team wore their famous diamond-printed trousers during a match at the 2026 Winter Olympics to honor the late Thomas Ulsrud. The pants, a sensation from the 2010 Vancouver Games, returned for one game against Sweden. Skipper Magnus Ramsfjell described the decision as a way to celebrate Ulsrud's legacy.
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Norway's men's curling team brought back the red, white, and blue-patterned trousers that first gained fame 16 years earlier. These eye-catching pants, featuring a diamond print, were originally worn by Thomas Ulsrud's team as part of a sponsorship with sportswear company Loudmouth Golf during the Vancouver 2010 Games. The outfit helped make Ulsrud's rink a highlight of the Winter Games.
The current team, led by skipper Magnus Ramsfjell, decided to revive the pants upon qualifying for the Olympics. "When we qualified for the Olympics, it was always in the back of our minds, 'Oh, we should really bring back the pants'," Ramsfjell said. They limited the tribute to one game, wearing the full Norwegian outfits to honor the entire Ulsrud team.
The pants have developed a strong following, with a Facebook page titled The Norwegian Olympic Curling Team’s Pants attracting more than 360,000 followers. Ramsfjell explained their appeal: "It’s something about curling being a bit silly, and then people showing up looking a bit silly. I feel like it’s a perfect synergy."
Ulsrud's teams continued wearing distinctive pants at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics and other tournaments until his death from cancer in 2022 at age 50. Ramsfjell paid tribute: "Thomas was an incredible guy, incredible curler. The passion for curling is something that I wish everyone can try to carry forward. Just his energy in general, just fantastic, fun, and an amazing curler."
The pants reappeared in a match against Sweden's Niklas Edin, who had competed against Ulsrud in 2010. Edin once joked that the Norwegians resembled "four clowns coming up and down the ice." Reflecting on the tribute, Edin said: "Team Ulsrud, they were some of our best friends for the better part of two decades out there. This new Norwegian team is the same, to be honest. They’re super nice personalities." He noted that Ulsrud's team had around a hundred different pant designs, each with silly details, yet they managed to look sharp.
