Levi’s and Champion Athleticwear have agreed to outfit USA Cycling’s BMX freestyle team as the discipline prepares for its Olympics debut next year in Tokyo. In the deal, the two brands will help promote BMX freestyle, and the athletes will wear Levi’s and Champion apparel while competing. Like snowboarding, BMX is considered to be an unusual opportunity for apparel brands because competitors often wear street clothes. “With the amount of coverage BMX Freestyle will receive from the media in the lead-up to and during their debut in the Games, we are excited to have the opportunity to showcase the sport with these meaningful partners in an innovative way,” USA Cycling CEO and former New Balance CEO Rob DeMartini said in a statement. Terms were not disclosed. BMX racing joined the Olympic program at the '08 Beijing Games, but next year will be the first medals awarded in BMX freestyle, a judged, tricks-based discipline. Both Champion and Levi’s have enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years with younger consumers. Jon Ram, group president of Champion owner Hanesbrands Inc., called cycling a “natural progression for our brand.”
