Table of Contents
- Simone Biles drops Nike deal was such a major shocker for the sporting world
- Her decision to cut ties with Nike came as a shock to the global sports apparel giant
- She ditched Nike 90 days before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Simone Biles drops Nike deal was a major shocker for the sporting world in 2021. Why would an athlete cancel a $1.6 million monthly deal?
Her decision to cut ties with Nike came as a shock to the global sports apparel giant. She chose an unpopular brand to work with and not Nike with the financial muscle and reputation that befits her.
Intrigues Behind Simone Biles Drops Nike as Her Sponsor Brand
Biles, an Olympic gymnastics champion, ditched Nike 90 days before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. No one saw this coming. She kept it to herself all through and dropped the bombshell at a critical moment for the global sports giant.
Personal support for her products and brand was mainly behind Simone Biles drop Nike news. She said that Nike invested in her for her stellar performance as a gymnast, but not in her personal development, which includes her brand.
She later explained that she had hoped the sports apparel giant would invest in her products/brand through creative input. However, none of this happened. All she got were fat cheques every month from Nike for five years.
Her decision to part ways with the American entity followed years of digging deep into her soul and clamouring for something that aligned with her values and vision.
Olympic champion Simone Biles. Photo/CNN
Yet, her account ballooned since 2015 when she partnered with Nike and earned a monthly pay north of $1.6 million every month.
Many questioned her decision, considering her choice Athleta was just a small company that wouldn’t match Nike’s financial muscle.
However, she said that investing in the value she believes in is, by far, the most important what she values most, more than monthly six figures hitting her account.
Who Sponsors Simone Biles?
Athleta, a little-known outfit five years ago, is Bile’s main sponsor. She has made it popular in the last five years since she partnered with the company.
Athleta is a women’s clothing brand currently valued at $419 million. Five years ago, when news of Simone Biles drops Nike deal emerged, Athleta was just a meagre 0.2% of the size of the American sports giant.
Its value proposal augured well for Biles whose focus beyond keeping her reputation as the world’s best gymnast is her products.
Does Simone Biles Regret Leaving Nike?
Simone Biles. Photo/CNN
The 32-time Olympic gold medalist doesn’t regret leaving the American giant, not even with the heat that Simone Biles drops Nike brought.
Soon after ditching Nike, Athleta organised multiple workshops, offered creative insight and did everything based on her needs. In retrospect, her previous partner didn’t offer this personal support.
What was so profound about Athleta is they never dictated what should be in her design. Instead, they were collaborative and incorporated her unique experiences into her designs.
The result was a product showing Biles as a person and her determination. Not just a performer, like it happened with Nike.
Each design she created carried a slogan, ‘Because I Can’, which she always sticks to whenever facing challenges in life. Together, Athleta has some of the best fabrics for gymnasts.
Athleta proved its worth when Biles withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, citing mental health concerns. She came under fire from her fans and partners, but Athleta stood by her.
The clothing brand maintained that it would stick by her. True to their words, they stuck by her. Moreover, the company went a step ahead to create a mental health workshop for athletes and mentor young gymnasts.
