One subway stop away from The Odyssey press tour, the biggest names in sports were having their own style epic in New York. First, athletes like Alysa Liu, Lindsey Vonn, and Eileen Gu attended the 2026 ESPY Awards. A day later, on July 16, fashion's favorite Olympians reunited at the 2026 TIME100 Sports Gala.
Four months after the TIME100 Gala (which welcomed Hailey Bieber in a Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy-coded Calvin Klein dress), the magazine rolled out the red carpet again to honor the inaugural TIME100 Sports list. To celebrate being named the "Most Influential People in Sports," Liu, Vonn, and Gu outdid themselves in designer dresses that showcased their personal styles outside of the sports arena.
Liu showed her daring side in a naked mermaid gown from London Label Nicholas Oakwell; Vonn's keyhole cut-out dress tapped into the tomato-red color trend; and Gu looked practically ethereal in an ivory satin slip with cape-style sleeves. Fellow honorees Jordan Chiles and Mikaela Shiffrin proved they're fashion girls to watch, too.
Keep reading for these (and more!) best red carpet looks at the 2026 TIME100 Sports Gala.
Alysa Liu
After her ESPYs Louis Vuitton look flaunted her new lower back tattoo, Alysa Liu continued with the risqué red carpet attire at the 2026 TIME100 Sports Gala. Her stylist, Katie Qian, teamed up with Nicholas Oakwell on a lacy black gown, featuring sheer corsetry, cap sleeves, and a Mandarin collar. She accessorized her look with custom Pandora jewelry.
Jordan Chiles
Jordan Chiles, an Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast and Dancing with the Stars finalist, brought her fashion A-game in a little black dress from Oscar de la Renta Fall 2026. Olive green vines and 3-D flowers added visual interest to the mini.
Ciara
While representing the NFL's fashion-forward WAGs, Ciara went for a menswear-inspired look in an oversized blazer-turned-mini dress. Wearing the ivory suit without any trousers kept the attention on its rhinestones and lace trim.
Lindsey Vonn
Two weeks after Taylor Swift styled a custom Monse mini at her now-husband's football event, Lindsey Vonn sourced the New York brand for an asymmetrical Resort 2027 dress. She paired the tomato-red style with a teeny-tiny clutch, a gold watch, and matching metallic sandals.
Eileen Gu
Following her shade-shifting dress at the ESPYs, the freestyle skier kept her TIME100 look classic in an ivory high-neck number, complete with floral-stamped satin and an embroidered silver bodice.
Mikaela Shiffrin
Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin showed up in an off-the-shoulder black dress, which sparkled just as much as her gold Winter Olympics medal.
Chloe Kim
Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim was a vision in a white cut-out dress. Before posing with her boyfriend, Los Angeles Rams star Myles Garrett, she accessorized the strapless style with a matching carpet-sweeping shawl.
Jalen and Ali Brunson
New York Knicks royalty was in the house. Jalen and Ali Brunson served major couples style inspiration in matching black looks. The texture on Ali's LBD spiced up an otherwise timeless silhouette.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates
The cute couple moments continued once Olympic figure skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates arrived. All eyes were on Chock's ruby red gown, specifically its botanical embroidery.
Kristin and Kyle Juszczyk
By the end of the evening, the floral gown trend deserved an honorary TIME100 mention. Following Chiles's and Chock's leads, Kristin Juszczyk brought the drama in a corseted rose-printed piece from Richard Quinn. Getting déjà vu? That's because both Lisa Rinna and Kendall Jenner have worn the same trumpet design.
