USA Gymnastics, Nike expand partnership through 2028 Olympics

USA Gymnastics and Nike have reached an agreement on a sponsorship deal that will make the athletic giant the exclusive apparel and footwear provider for the men’s and women’s national teams.

The deal, which USA Gymnastics says is the largest ever both in terms of annual value and total value for the national governing body, runs through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

It also signals a shift in perception of USA Gymnastics in the corporate world as it tries to distance itself from the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal.

The organization has undergone a litany of changes — both in terms of leadership and the culture it is attempting to create at the sport’s highest level — since athletes began coming forward in late 2016 saying they were abused by the former national team doctor.

Corporate support vanished in the immediate aftermath.

Li Li Leung, who in March 2019 became USA Gymnastics’ fourth president in less than two years, believes the organization has come “full circle.”

“It is incredible that a corporate partner such as Nike … (has) the trust in us and belief in us that we have turned around,” Leung said.

On the day she was hired, Leung stressed her primary goal was to build an organization focused on athlete health and safety while creating an infrastructure that would make sure all stakeholders in an organization with roughly 200,000 members felt heard, supported and safe.

Nike saw enough progress that it felt comfortable expanding its relationship with an organization whose brightest lights often become crossover stars while competing under the Olympic rings.

An American woman has won each of the last five Olympic all-around titles, including 2016 champion Simone Biles and 2020 champion Sunisa Lee, both of whom will be competing Saturday at the U.S. Classic outside Chicago. Gabby Douglas, the first Black woman to win gold in the all-around, also has returned to training in the run-up to the 2024 Paris Games.

“The USA Gymnastics partnership represents Nike’s commitment to expand sport for the next generation,” said Karie Conner, vice president and general manager of the North America Kids division at Nike Inc. “Together we’re providing opportunities for all kids to experience the joy of movement — and the confidence it builds — from their first forward roll to first back handspring and beyond.”

As part of the settlement, every sponsorship agreement signed with USA Gymnastics now includes money earmarked to support athlete wellness, a broad term that can cover a wide spectrum of programs.

Apparel provider GK Elite’s deal included funding to reimburse national team members and coaches for visits to mental health professionals while training outside of team camps and national and international competitions. More than a dozen current national team members have taken advantage of the program since it launched last fall.

Where the money set aside for athlete wellness as part of the Nike deal — terms of which were not released — is yet to be determined.

Leung believes the increased confidence in the organization by outside entities like Nike comes from the diligent work done at many levels of the organization over the last four-plus years.

“(Support) comes from our actions, not our words,” Leung said. “I think our actions are showing the true tangible results (of what we’re doing) from a corporate partnership perspective.”