Curious Why Olympic Swimmers Wear Winter Coats Before a Race? We've Got Answers 0 Shares When it comes to uniforms — even Olympic uniforms — swimming lacks glamour and aesthetic. It's the truth, and as a former competitive swimmer, I can attest to this. Race suits are typically a solid color (usually black) with your team name or logo splashed across the front, and that's about it. The same can be said for swimmers' fleece-lined coats, commonly referred to as "parkas" in the swimming community. Parkas are far from fashionable, but they're a swimmer's best friend, especially before a race. Like other winter jackets, swim parkas are fleece-lined, zip-up coats with a hoodie and pockets. Most parkas fall below the knee, though some athletes opt to wear coats down to their mid-calf.