This year's Olympic Games -- all of them -- will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And Bridgestone Americas Inc. will be a part of it.
The company is partnering with six U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls for the upcoming games. The Olympics will be held in August; the Paralympics will be held in September.
The "Team Bridgestone" members are:
1. Meb Keflezighi (track & field, marathon),
2. Cullen Jones (swimming),
3. Aly Raisman (gymnastics),
4. Kelley O’Hara (soccer),
5. Khatuna Lorig (archery), and
6. Will Groulx (para-cycling).
Each of the six will receive financial support and access to Bridgestone’s cutting-edge products and technologies.
On the "Road to Rio," Team Bridgestone athletes will participate in both employee and consumer-facing communications and marketing efforts leading up to and during the Games. As previously announced, Olympic track & field legend and four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson has also partnered with Bridgestone and will serve as the “coach” of an internal program to offer performance-based training and inspiration to Bridgestone’s retail employees.
“Athletes are the driving force of the Olympic Games and represent the heart of the Olympic movement,” says Gary Garfield, CEO and President of Bridgestone Americas. “They are also Bridgestone customers who drive to and from their daily training sessions and, like Bridgestone tires, are built to perform -- no matter the weather conditions or the distance.”
Bridgestone Corp., Bridgestone America’s parent company, announced its official TOP Worldwide Olympic Partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on June 13, 2014, making a long-term commitment to the Olympic movement which extends through 2024. The upcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games hold a special significance for Bridgestone, not only as its first Olympic Games as an official partner, but also as the first-ever Olympic Games in South America. Bridgestone has strong ties to the region and Brazil in particular, where the company has operated for more than 90 years.
In the countdown to Rio 2016, and through 2024, Bridgestone will work in partnership with the IOC to support the Olympic Games and National Olympic Committees and teams around the world – including the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and Team USA.
To learn more about Team Bridgestone visit BridgestoneAmericas.com.
