Agency :
Four-time Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles has signed up with Gap Inc’s Athleta brand for a new apparel partnership, ending an almost six-year deal with Nike Inc.
The 24-year-old Biles, already the most decorated gymnast in world championship history, said in an Instagram post today that she wanted to partner with a brand that shares her “passion to help girls rise and own their limitless potential”.
“They are committed to diversity and inclusion, which was really important for me to see in a partner,” she said.
Athleta, founded in 1998 as a brand for female athletes, said it plans to co-create an activewear line with Biles and design other signature products.
The brand has also pledged to support Biles’ post-Tokyo Olympics gymnastics tour that she is planning to mount herself, rather than the usual tour backed by governing body USA Gymnastics, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Biles had previously said she would retire after the Tokyo Olympics this year but has hinted at reconsidering, according to French media.
Nike did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on Biles’ departure.
She is not the first Nike-sponsored sportsperson to join Athleta. In 2019, six-time Olympic champion Allyson Felix signed up with the Gap-owned brand after penning an opinion piece in The New York Times in which she said she faced potential pay cuts from sponsors including Nike for having children.
Nike later committed to not financially penalise pregnant athletes. The company has also made a name for itself for taking a stand on social issues, fighting against racial injustice and showing solidarity with some protesting athletes.
Biles’ move also comes days after Nike’s partnership with the estate of late basketball superstar Kobe Bryant expired.
