The sportlifestyle brand expands its position as one of the worldwide leading running brands thanks to world class athlete Usain Bolt
As the sponsor of 16 national teams at the Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing, PUMA achieved a successful track record by endorsing outstanding sprinter Usain Bolt to win three gold medals and smash three world records.
“Lightning” Bolt set a new 100m world record at 9.69 seconds, smashing his own mark from May this year, and sprinted 200m in a world record time of 19.30 seconds, beating Michael Johnson’s 1996 record by two hundredths of a second. He won his third gold medal as Jamaica shattered the world record at 4 x 100m relay in 37.10 seconds, taking 0.30 off the USA’s mark which was set 15 years ago at the world championships.
Bolt is the first man in 24 years to win an Olympic sprint double while the Jamaican team finished third in the nation medal table for track and field with six gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
“We were again able to impressively demonstrate PUMA’s undoubted credibility and expertise in world-class sports at the 2008 Beijing Olympics,” said Chairman and CEO Jochen Zeitz. “With our PUMA athletes and primarily Usain Bolt’s world records in the sprints, we once again set new standards and made sports history, strengthening and expanding our position as one of the leading running brands.”
Cameroonian triple jumper Francoise Mbango and javelin thrower Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway won Olympic titles wearing PUMA Runway apparel.
Bolt, Mbango and Thorkildsen join the group of brilliant PUMA track and field athletes who enjoyed golden moments in Olympic history, such as for example Armin Hary (100m / 1960), Tommie Smith (200m / 1968) and Linford Christie (100m / 1992).
Bolt worked with PUMA to develop the optimum running shoe. Running both the 100m and 200m, he needed a versatile shoe that provided support for power, as well as firmness to hold his foot in place around the turn. Following this collaborative process, the complete Theseus II was born. PUMA produced a gold version of the shoe for Beijing, which helped power him through the greatest sprints of his life so far.
The Olympics also provided the ultimate stage to showcase PUMA’s Runway Collection of clothing and apparel which was inspired by the spirit of the Games and those athletes who came to symbolize it. PUMA’s world class competitors looked the part on and off the track in lifestyle offerings with a sporting edge and performance products provide them with PUMA’s unique offering of fashion and technology.
