Allyson Felix Signs with Athleta

Once again , Nike did not drop her she declined the deal they offered her. That simple.

What shoes will she wear?

Great for Allyson Felix! Athleta, which is owned by Gap, is very popular with my wife and her crowd. An investment in competitive runners by Gap, a mainstream non-running shoe related company, is an important milestone.

Hopefully the contract is front loaded prior to another chapter 11 filing by this crappy company.

BK atty wrote:

Hopefully the contract is front loaded prior to another chapter 11 filing by this crappy company.

Gap has never filed for bankruptcy. It’s a great signing for both. Allyson will get faster in the next two months and will very likely be part of the 4 by 4 team in Doha. She'll have a dedicated segment on TV during the World Champs (as always) and this sponsorship will be prominently mentioned. And she will likely make the Tokyo team next year. Allyson has a lot of fans and this is great marketing and publicity for Athleta.

Following the path set by Alexi Pappas and Champion.

evlogía wrote:

What shoes will she wear?

Athlea Placenta 2's

Hvuvvuvy wrote:

Once again , Nike did not drop her she declined the deal they offered her. That simple.

Not a single person in this thread, nor the linked article, even suggested Nike dropped her. You seem like the old man who shakes his fist at cloud

I adore Allyson Felix and she's been one of the most influential runners in history but this whole issue with her finding a sponsorship has less to do with being pregnant and more the fact she's at the end of her career. There is a reason Nike, Pima, Adidas, New Balance ect. didn't offer her big contracts. It is because extremely fast times have left her. It's a coin toss if she'll even make it past the semi's at the Olympic trials. She looks permanently exhausted in all her photos and while running. It's a simple result of a pro career since she was 18.

Plenty of female athletes come back from pregnancy and do well. Jessica Ennis and SAFP being great examples. But the big shoe companies are just reading the writing on the wall. Felix won't be coming back to win Olympic medals or make even teams from this pregnancy. Her body is exhausted, her career was long, her pregnancy was traumatic...none of that leads to great athletic performances. So she signed with a little nobody athletic company as I doubt anyone else offered more than pennies for an aging athlete about to admit the truth and retire.

I agree that this is really the likely case. As much as it doesn't seem inclusive, big sponsorships in athletics are cutthroat and are rare to continue beyond an athlete's competitive career. Compared to something like NFL or NBA athletes who can often have fame that transcends their competitive career this is incredibly rare. If there was confidence on the part of companies that she would be able to come back and still be comparably notable from a competitive standpoint as she was before her hiatus she would have offers without a doubt.

It's unfair that male athletes can start a family without having to wreck their bodies. But if being a father meant that you aren't likely to be competitive anymore than they wouldn't get continue to get competitive contracts either. The price to be paid by less notable athletes than Allyson is even greater. But it's hard to see a way around it given the economic realities of athletics sponsorships. You either stay competitive, or use your clout to go into a business that doesn't rely on continuing to put in good times.

Who said nike dropped her?

Nike dropped her? wow. that's cold

I thought they just refused to renew her contract at the current rates to try force her to take a large pay cut.....but they dropped her??? wow.

Good for her. I hope she is getting paid well and I hope the company gets some good PR. I hope she makes the Olympic Team one more time. She is an amazing athlete and seems to be a genuinely positive person. If her career is on the down slope, I'm still a fan.

And when people walk by the stores they'll have no clue who Felix is just like when Nike put out some awesome Shalane ads after her NYC win at my local store nobody had a clue.

Jack2651 who said nike wrote:

Who said nike dropped her?

Noone, that commenter is just trolling.

Good for her, and for them. She has had a great, great career, even though she is at the tailend of it, and she has the kind of personality and smile like no one since Marion Jones had.

Not sure why Nike hasn't kept her on, even more as an "ambassador" than a current star (which she still is).

Hvuvvuvy wrote:

Once again , Nike did not drop her she declined the deal they offered her. That simple.

I didn’t see the the OP write that Nike dropped her.

But Nike did pass on the opportunity of resigning one of the most marketable athletes in the sport who could be an ambassador after retirement.

Lmaoo she was competing for medals b4, she’ll be competing for medals after. Anyone who thinks differently is just dumb. And anyone who thinks paternity leave pay is unnecessary, they’re a guy who doesn’t appreciate what women have done for us. It’s sad really.

Star wrote:

Hvuvvuvy wrote:

Once again , Nike did not drop her she declined the deal they offered her. That simple.

I didn’t see the the OP write that Nike dropped her.

But Nike did pass on the opportunity of resigning one of the most marketable athletes in the sport who could be an ambassador after retirement.

What do you mean they passed? They made her an offer. She rejected it. Then she went and mouthed them off publicly.

Additionally, t&f is a fringe sport. None of the athletes, male or female, are marketable. Usain Bolt was the only marketable one, but he is retired