Winter Olympics 2022 - Team USA's 'rockstar' Matt Hamilton and his 'wild' multi-coloured curling shoes

BySam Webb

Published 12/02/2022 at 07:59 GMT

Matt Hamilton stands out from the curling crowd in Beijing with his multi-coloured shoes, thick moustache and shoulder-length hair. He looks and sounds like a rockstar. Following Team USA's storming success in the men's curling at the Pyeongchang games, can Hamilton inspire the Americans to a second consecutive gold medal in China?

In a tournament that features possibly the most expensive display of sporting equipment in the world, with meticulously designed skis and bobsleighs that cost five-figure sums, viewers might notice one American curler appears to have rocked up in some rainbow-patterned skateboarding trainers.

Matt Hamilton’s vibrant Nikes, contrasting against the plain black footwear of almost every other curler in Beijing, are customised for his sport with a gripper attached to one sole and a slider on the other.

They are purchased from the collection of skateboarding champion Paul Rodriguez.

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“I just thought, ‘they’re sweet,’” said Hamilton before the Americans’ round robin opener against the Russian Olympic Committee.

“Here we are with some wild shoes.”

The 32-year-old stands out among his mild-mannered, short-back-and-sides teammates and opponents in Beijing with his thick moustache, shoulder-length rockstar hairdo and tattoo sleeve.

He has gained notoriety in his home country following his appearance in the NBC documentary "American Rockstars" which follows the curling team of four Midwesterners who won gold in Pyeongchang.

With a colourful personality to match his look, Hamilton helped the USA’s 2018 team power through five elimination matches to claim gold.

Team USA's Matt Hamilton has taken to the ice in Beijing with some of the most eye-catching shoes ever seen on a curling rink.

Image credit: Getty Images

The United States are well in with a chance of defending their title in Beijing, led by skip John Shuster.

The only thing shinier than the gold medals round the Americans’ necks as they stand on the podium in Beijing would be the shoes on Matt Hamilton’s feet.

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Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+

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