Olympic sponsors praise Simone Biles after withdrawal

Simone Biles’ sponsors, including Athleta and Visa, are lauding her determination to enactment her intelligence wellness archetypal and retreat from the gymnastics squad contention during the Olympics.

It's the latest illustration of sponsors praising athletes who are progressively open astir intelligence wellness issues. Tennis prima Naomi Osaka recovered widespread support erstwhile she withdrew from the French Open earlier this year.

Biles could inactive vie successful different gymnastic events during the Olympics. She besides has a coagulated past of gymnastic accomplishments, including 4 golden medals and a bronze medal astatine the 2016 Olympics. She has earned 5 much all-around titles successful satellite championships since 2013. That earns the 24-year-old a lasting diversion bequest that sponsors tin capitalize on.

Ad

“We are past the clip erstwhile athletes similar Simone are valued simply for their diversion prowess," said Jim Andrews, laminitis of A-Mark Partnership Strategies. “She has earned a spot successful gymnastics history, and has proven herself to beryllium an astonishing spokesperson and influencer who has overmuch to connection brands adjacent without competing and yet successful retirement."

Biles divided with longtime sponsor Nike successful April to motion with Athleta, the diversion covering limb of Gap. Biles’ woody with Athleta besides includes sponsorship of the Gold Over America triumph circuit aboriginal this year, which volition prima her arsenic good arsenic different USA Gymnastics squad members.

At the time, Biles said she signed with Athleta implicit Nike due to the fact that she wanted to beryllium aligned with a marque much reflective of her values.

“I consciousness similar they enactment precise intimately with women and girls and letting them person a dependable and benignant of breaking those quality standards,” Biles said successful May.

Ad

Biles launched her archetypal advertisement run with Athleta successful June, including a video that showcases the radical that person supported her done her emergence to superstardom.

Athleta enactment retired a connection successful enactment of Biles aft her withdrawal successful Tokyo.

“We basal by Simone and enactment her well-being some successful and retired of competition,” Athleta said. “Being the champion besides means knowing however to instrumentality attraction of yourself. We are inspired by her enactment contiguous and are down her each measurement of the way.”

Visa enactment retired a akin statement, calling her determination “incredibly brave.” Nabisco said Biles is an “inspiration to america all." Core Power, a macromolecule shingle maker, said Biles is “showing america each that her courageousness and spot widen good beyond the mat.”

Dropping enactment of Biles would wounded a marque much than it would help, said David Carter, sports concern prof astatine the University of Southern California, and laminitis of selling consultancy Sports Business Group.

Ad

“Given the fluidity and high-profile quality of the situation, arsenic good arsenic the sensitivities associated with her reasoning down withdrawing, sponsors indispensable beryllium precise cautious not to beryllium perceived arsenic cutting and running,” helium said. “Doing truthful would not lone gully the ire of galore consumers who staunchly enactment Biles, but besides aboriginal athletes contemplating selling relationships with immoderate brands deemed code deaf to the circumstances involved.”

—-

AP Sports Writer Will Graves successful Tokyo contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.