Track and field will soon be top of mind with the U.S. Olympic Trials and Rio Games fast approaching, and U.S. Track & Field CEO Max Siegel's "foremost challenge" is to make the sport "relevant and prosperous in the other 46 months, restoring the luster to a once-mainstream sport that has long since been relegated to the second division of the American sports consciousness," according to Wayne Coffey of USA TODAY. Siegel is "seeking to reverse recent history amid global doping scandals that never seem to end, a skimpy TV presence and swirling debate about the long-term deal he signed with Nike" in '14. He hopes to market the sport by "building stars and getting their stories out there, growing a TV presence powered by story-driven coverage and a regular lineup of meets that viewers can look forward to." U.S. sprinter Allyson Felix "believes it will happen." She said, "I really like Max’s vision. I think he’s really a genius in that (marketing) area. I think we’ve already seen change in the sport." Coffey notes one of the biggest shifts Siegel has implemented is an expanded revenue-sharing plan that "funnels more money to elite athletes, addressing the longstanding concern that even top competitors struggle to make a living in a cash-strapped sport." Under the plan, an additional $1.8M "is being earmarked annually for top athletes for the next five years." So-called Tier 1 athletes who make a world or Olympic team "receive a $10,000 bonus, plus $4,500 more for medical needs and competing internationally." An athlete who wins a national title and competes for Team USA "will receive about $45,000 annually, and an athlete who captures a national title and a world or Olympic gold medal will take in $95,000." Coffey notes the "bulk of the funds" come from the Nike deal. But Siegel "insists that no Nike executive has ever called him to get pro-swoosh treatment" (USA TODAY, 6/7).
RUN FOR THE MONEY: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Sara Germano notes Nike is "known for its aggressive pursuit of athletes." That the world's biggest sportswear maker is battling over runner Boris Berian "shows how much Nike wants to avoid having another potential star run with a competitor's logo." Tensions between athletes and companies that bankroll Olympic sports "have risen." Nike and adidas "clashed at two events last year, interfering with U.S. sprint-relay teams and leading to the involvement" of Siegel to "mediate a detente at the world championships in Beijing." Nike has a "stranglehold on track and field." In addition to the U.S., it has sewn up sponsorship deals "with the top national teams including Kenya, China, Germany and Canada." But in the lead up to the Rio Games, the battles for talent "have heated up." Two sprinters, Andre De Grasse of Canada and Trayvon Bromell of the U.S., "signed pro contracts with Puma and New Balance, respectively." Meanwhile, Brooks Running Co. "lost its sponsorship" of long-distance runner Amy Hastings Cragg to Nike in January (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/7).
