Global swimwear brand Arena has been chosen by U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, to be the Official Supplier of the U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Team for the next two years. The agreement, which marks the first partnership of its kind for the U.S. Paralympics Swimming Team, names arena as the official supplier of swimsuits for Team USA athletes over the duration of the contract, including the upcoming Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in September.
“We are thrilled to have arena as our official team supplier for the swimming team,” said Rick Adams, chief of Paralympic sport and NGB organizational development. “Our team is excited to not only wear the arena brand, but to know they have the support of a great company behind them as they look to compete in Rio and beyond.”
For arena, the new partnership signifies the company’s commitment to grow swimming at all levels. The three-diamond brand is currently the official sponsor and technical partner of FINA as well as 23 national federations and governing bodies worldwide, including the exclusive outfitter to the USA Swimming National Team.
“This is a really important agreement for us, and we’re honored to have been selected by U.S. Paralympics Swimming as their partner,” said Steve Ozmai, Marketing Director of arena North America. “As a company, we’ve always been dedicated to growing the sport across the board, and to give every swimmer – from the Olympian to the beginner and everyone in between – the best opportunity to express themselves and their water instinct, whatever their goals. This diversity is as important to our brand as it is to all of us as individuals; it’s reflected throughout our company, so to extend our reach to the U.S. Paralympic movement is a true honor and an exciting beginning to the sport’s biggest year. We are looking forward to working hand in hand with Team USA to help them perform at their very best come Rio in September, and in the longer term becoming a key partner in seeing the Paralympic swimming movement flourish in the U.S.”
The selection of arena by U.S. Paralympics is a reflection of the leadership role the company plays in elite technical racing, as well as the broad range of product expertise it brings to the sport of swimming. With an expansive array of styles, technologies, and performance levels to choose from, the company’s aim is to provide every swimmer with the best suit for their own physical needs, sporting goals, and personal preferences. This focus on the custom needs of every individual athlete is a trait that has characterized arena’s modus operandi for over 40 years, propelling the company to the pinnacle of their field, most recently with its breakthrough carbon technology, which over the past several years has outfitted more medal winners at the world’s leading competitions than any other brand.
Under the terms of the agreement with U.S. Paralympics, national team swimmers will have the opportunity to compete in arena’s top-level technology including the newly released Powerskin Carbon Ultra. The 2016 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials – Swimming will take place from June 30 to July 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the U.S. Team for the Rio Paralympics being selected on the results of the trials.
About Arena
Since 1973, arena has created and marketed waterwear products for competitive swimmers and swimming fans worldwide, and is universally recognised as one of the premium brands of high quality swimwear and equipment. Over the last 40 years, arena has developed strong expertise in creating best in class products with particular focus on the pool segment, while also expanding into leisure and beach wear.
With its headquarters in Tolentino, Italy, today the arena brand has a presence in 116 countries around the globe. With direct representation through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Italy, France, Germany/Austria and the USA, the group also employs a network of 35 qualified business partners in 100 countries, while the Japan-based Descente Group owns and manages the brand in 11 countries of the Far East.
arena’s ties to the world of sport, and swimming in particular, are reinforced through sponsoring activities at different levels, including governing bodies, national federations, athletes and clubs. In addition to partnerships with FINA, LEN (the European governing body for swimming), and 23 national federations, the 49 individually-sponsored members of the arena Elite Team between them currently hold 9 individual long-course world records, 9 individual Olympic titles, and 17 individual World titles. American Elite Team swimmers include Connor Jaeger, Cammile Adams, Tom Shields, and Breeja Larson. In addition, arena is the official sponsor of swim teams at the University of Texas, University of California-Berkeley, NC State, and Auburn.
Swimming News press release is courtesy of the USOC.