Why Elite Female Athletes Are Turning Away From Major Sponsors
Smaller brands are working with athletes in different ways, like giving them equity or roles in developing products, and are paying more attention to their personal stories.
“As athletes we’re always going to struggle with that sense that we only have value if we can run fast, jump far or throw far,” the steeplechaser Colleen Quigley said.Credit.Leah Nash for The New York Times
July 30, 2021Updated 9:19 a.m. ET
Athleta, the activewear brand for women and girls owned by Gap Inc., had never sponsored an athlete when it approached the six-time Olympic champion sprinter Allyson Felix in 2019, shortly after she took Nike to task for its pay practices for pregnant runners.