Sunday News

US gives black marks against Kiwi Olympics fashion

-

Whether I would have chosen to write my partner’s name in there or not I’m not sure, we would have had that discussion, it was the fact that I couldn’t...’ LOGAN MORTON

NEW Zealand’s black uniform is apparently the new... well, letdown, according to Winter Olympics fashionist­as.

The Kiwi Winter Olympics team earnt a dishonoura­ble mention at yesterday’s opening ceremony in PyeongChan­g after an ESPN writer’s report on the best and worst-dressed ignored our sacred sporting colour to comment: "New ‘‘SLIGHTLY better than even,’’ my specialist told me bluntly when I asked about my chances of survival.

I don’t remember if I blinked as the words sank in, or whether I’ve blinked since.

‘‘I’m sorry,’’ the haematolog­ist went on, ‘‘but you have acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer.’’

There’s no memory of what happened in the moments afterwards.

Just the numbness, the deafening silence that follows an explosion.

Cancer. Ringing in my ears. I have cancer.

In an instant, the disease Zealand was one of several countries to go all-black, which at the Olympics just seems like a letdown. This is one case where black does not go with everything."

US media outlet, TV Line, also listed New Zealand under "Least Imaginativ­e Team Wear" saying, "New Zealand (and several other nations) opting for this look seems hadn’t just revealed itself in my body; it became part of who I am.

Despite impressive advances in its treatment, no disease quite shares cancer’s chilling effect or proximity to our sense of mortality. Ten years ago, my prognosis would have been far worse — whereas a decade from now, far less intrusive and safer treatments will be part of the mainstream, most likely replacing the need for chemothera­py, full body irradiatio­n, and bone marrow transplant­s. like a missed opportunit­y. You’re literally on an internatio­nal sage! Go big or go home!"

But where black failed to fire, the bare chest of Tonga’s oiled-up flag bearer Pita Taufatofua, right, had the commmentat­ors drooling, as he repeated his shirtless antics from the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro – despite the freezing cold conditions – to "steal the show". to choose to be a personal sperm donor and as such, nominate their partner to choose a woman to use the sperm with.

Birdsall said it was the first time the issue had been raised with them, and she thanked Morton for bringing it to their attention.

Morton said the experience was deeply offensive, at a time when he was in severe pain from the cancer treatment, and showed how out of date the legislatio­n was.

‘‘Whether I would have chosen to write my partner’s name in there or not I’m not sure, we would have had that discussion, it was the fact that I couldn’t and I’m sure there are other people in the situation who would very much like to who are unable to.’’

He was pleased the company was making a change to ensure gay men were not discrimina­ted against.

‘‘Obviously I’m thrilled that it’s been brought to their attention and they are willing to update the form and adapt their policy and definitely recognise they are working within legislatio­n like they have to, so I guess it boils down to an issue of ... the legislatio­n needs updating, doesn’t it.’’

He planned to approach an MP to lobby for a member’s bill to bring about legislativ­e change.

 ??  ?? Logan Morton was dismayed to find he was denied the option of leaving his sperm to his partner, Jeremy Young, below right. When Logan Morton was diagnosed with cancer at 22, he found himself unprepared for illness – here he shares his battle against...
Logan Morton was dismayed to find he was denied the option of leaving his sperm to his partner, Jeremy Young, below right. When Logan Morton was diagnosed with cancer at 22, he found himself unprepared for illness – here he shares his battle against...
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from New Zealand