5 years ago

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games yesterday announced that adidas has become the latest tier one partner of the London 2012 Paralympic Games – becoming Official Sportswear Partner.

A host of international sports stars, including aspiring Paralympians Shelly Woods and Ali Jawad, World sprint Champions Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix, gymnast Nadia Comaneci and British sprint hopeful Craig Pickering, attended the central London announcenment.

As part of the event adidas also turned various parts of the capital into unexpected sports venues. The Millennium Bridge became a 100m track, there was pole vaulting over London buses in Horse Guards Parade and gymnasts hung under Marble Arch. Flash Judo sprung up in Covent Garden, there was fencing on the Centre Point and BMX bikes raced around a track floating on the Thames.

The deal with adidas will see the sportswear company receive marketing and licensing rights to London 2012, providing kit for the British Paralympic Association and the British Olympic Association in Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012.

During the Games in 2012, adidas will also provide sportswear to Games Officials, London 2012 staff and volunteers. Adidas will also have exclusive licensing rights for branded and unbranded sportswear at London 2012 venues and stores. The deal with London 2012 represents the biggest ever single event sponsorship investment by adidas in the UK.

Adidas Global CEO Herbert Heiner, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for adidas and we’re excited to become a tier one sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. We will play a major role in what promises to be one of the best sporting events the world has ever seen. We believe our deep involvement in the Games will help us to be the leading sports brand in the UK, the largest sportswear market in Europe.”

LOCOG Chairman Sebastian Coe welcomed adidas to the London 2012 family. “We extend a very warm welcome to adidas – they are a perfect partner for us as we share many common goals, including a vision to reach out and inspire young people in the UK and beyond. The team at LOCOG and I look forward to working with them over the next five years or so. One of our challenges as an organising committee is to raise £2bn to stage the Games in 2012 and our commercial programme is driving this.“

British Paralympic Association Chief Executive Phil Lane, said: “We are delighted that adidas has come on board as an official partner of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and will continue to supply first-class sportswear to our athletes. adidas has supplied the ParalympicsGB team with official kit since the BPA’s creation in 1989 and it has always proved to be of exceptional standard. We believe the technical quality and design of the kit provides our athletes with a performance edge and, as a result, we look forward to continuing to work with adidas to help our athletes have the best possible chances of success in Vancouver in 2010 and in front of a home crowd in London in 2012.”

Adidas is also encouraging people to join in by setting their own challenge and demonstrating their sporting prowess. Whether it’s showing off BMX skills in the garden or beating your personal best for consecutive back flips, video clips can be shared and viewed at http://www.adidas.com/london2012