This press release came across the wire this morning. After signing big contracts with both Auburn and the Cal men, Arena is moving even harder by signing the 200m backstroke World Record holder Kirsty Coventry.
Although she competes for (and is a native of) Zimbabwe, and is currently training in South Africa, Coventry is very visible in the United States, after leading Auburn to 2 National Championships (2003, 2004) and being the top point-earner at the 2005 meet.
Arena, which historically was a very strong brand in the US, has for the last decade made their money on foreign markets and off of water polo gear. With their 100% polyurethane X-Glide at the 2009 World Championships, they had the most successful suit of that meet, which was loaded brand-wise. Although the X-Glide is no longer legal, they have used that publicity as a springboard to launch themselves back into the American market and try to compete with the big dogs-Speedo and TYR, and to a lesser extent Dolfin and Nike.
Here’s the press release from Arena:
Tolentino , July 15 2010 – Arena, one of the world – wide leading companies in the sports waterwear, is extremely proud to announce a new sponsorship agreement with that the two-times Olympic gold medalist Kirsty Coventry.
Kirsty Leigh Coventry (27, Zimbabwe) is widely recognised as the most talented African swimmer ever, who can show, in spite of her young age, an incredible career path and palmares.
Coventry has imposed herself for the first time to the public’s attention during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she won one gold medal in 200m backstroke, one silver medal in 100m backstroke and one bronze medal in 200m Ind. Medley.
At the time, the swimming star from Zimbabwe was studying and training at Auburn University, where she had the chance to compete with the “Auburn Tigers” Team in 2003, 2004 and 2005 NCAA Championships. In 2005, Coventry was the top individual scorer at the NCAA Finals, also achieving three individual titles (200m and 400m Ind. Medley, as well as 200m Backstroke for the second consecutive season).
At the 2005 World Swimming Championships in Montreal, Coventry was able to give a further confirmation of her outstanding potential, achieving gold medals in both 100m and 200m backstroke and silver medals in 200m and 400m Ind. Medley. After two years, during Melbourne 2007 World Championships, Coventry simply confirmed her untouchable role at the helm of international swimming by achieving silver medals in 200m Backstroke and 200m Ind. Medley.
Year 2008 definitely imposed Kirsty Coventry as an absolute protagonist on the international scene. At the Beijing Olympic Games she was able to take home four medals: gold in 200m Backstroke (with the world record time of 2:05.24), silver in 200m and 400m Ind. Medley, silver in 100m Backstroke (where, in the semi-final, she swam with the World Record time of 58.77).
More recently, at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Coventry won a gold medal in 200m backstroke where she set a new world record time of 2.04:81; she also got a silver medal in the 400m Ind. Medley race. In light of such achievements, Coventry won the Swimming World Magazine Award as the Female African Swimmer of the Year for 2009.
Coventry also has an excellent track record of results in short course competitions, clearly witnessed by her outstanding performance at 2008 S. C. World Championships in Manchester: in that occasion she won gold medals in 400m Ind. Medley (with a World Record time of 4:26:52), in 200m Ind. Medley and in 100m Backstroke. Thanks to such a remarkable performances, she was awarded by FINA as the Best Female Swimmer of the Championships.
In 2010, Kirtsy Coventry will compete at the Fina Arena World Cup and at the Short Course World Championships in Dubai (TBC).
“We are extremely honored and truly happy to welcome a great swimmer like Kirsty in our team – stated Giuseppe Musciacchio, Marketing Director at Arena. She is an amazingly talented athlete, who has already demonstrated her unique value in all the most challenging competitions. She has a great image, stature and credibility in the swimming world, it’s difficult to think of a better ambassador for the Arena brand world-wide”.
“I am thrilled to have signed a new deal with Arena.- said the Olympic Champions Kirsty Coventry – Its great to be associated with a leading aquatic brand and I look forward to producing good results in their performance driven products. I am training at the moment in South Africa and have enjoyed my time here and the change of environment has been beneficial to me.”