IOC Announces Nike Deal; Coe is BOA's "Chair Apparent"

IOC Announces Nike Supply Deal

IOC members and staff will wear Nike through the end of 2016.

Tuesday’s announcement comes more than a month after Around the Rings confirmed the deal through Gerhard Heiberg, chair of the IOC Marketing Commission.

The change is the result of Mizuno dropping its long-running hold on the category so the Japanese firm could sponsor the Tokyo bid for the 2020 Olympics. Mizuno chairman Masato Mizuno is also chairman of the Tokyo bid, as well as vice president of the Japanese Olympic Committee.

"We are delighted that we have reached this agreement with Nike, the world’s leading sports and fitness company, and we feel that this relationship will be a great fit for the IOC," said Timo Lumme, Managing Director, IOC Television and Marketing.

Nike Brand President Charlie Denson added: "We’re honoured to be working with the IOC and we look forward to this being the start of a long and successful relationship."

The agreement begins in January 2013 and provides for the supply of uniform and products at Sochi 2014, Nanjing 2014, Rio 2016, Lillehammer 2016 as well as IOC Sessions, Evaluation Commissions and other events as required.

Nike was not a sponsor of the London Olympics, but did supply sportswear to more than 100 National Olympic Committees and footwear to thousands of individual athletes at the Games. The four Independent Olympic Athletes who competed under the IOC flag in London also wore Nike.

Coe is BOA's "Chair Apparent"

Sebastian Coe is poised to become the next chairman of the British Olympic Association.

Richard Leman announced his withdrawal for the chairmanship Tuesday, leaving Coe as the lone candidate.

"Recognizing the unique circumstance in which we find ourselves in having the person who led the organization and delivery of what is widely regarded as the most successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in history standing for election as our next Chair, I have decided to put my full support behind Seb Coe and his candidacy," Leman, a member of the gold medal winning 1988 British hockey team, said in a statement.

"The opportunities and challenges we face during the next four years are unprecedented, and from my position as a member of Board of Directors, I will continue to work closely with our next Chair, my colleagues on the Board, the National Olympic Committee and our staff to meet those challenges."

Elections for the BOA chairmanship are scheduled for Nov. 7.

Outgoing chair Colin Moynihan had said the BOA was in the "enviable position" of having both Coe and Leman as candidates.

More Dressage "Doubtful" for Rio

The International Equestrian Federation tells Around the Rings it’s "doubtful" the dressage competition at Rio 2016 will feature more riders than London 2012.

"The Dressage Committee realizes that the possibility of increasing the number of horses for Dressage at the Olympic Games is doubtful, but so far this is only a suggestion from the Dressage Committee," says FEI dressage director Trond Asmyr.

"No decision on how this will be processed further internally in the FEI has been made yet."

The clarification from FEI follows a report in Horse & Hound that the Dressage Committee is calling for an increase in its athlete allotment from 50 to 60.

"It is totally illogical that at an Olympics you have 75 riders in both showjumping and eventing but only 50 in dressage, and that you have five eventers on a team and two discard scores, four showjumpers and one discard score and three dressage riders, all of which count," five-time Olympian in dressage Richard Davison was quoted by the British equestrian magazine.

Because the IOC sets the quota for horses at 200, however, any increase in dressage would mean an equivalent decrease in eventing and showjumping, each of which get 75 riders at the Games.

Written by Ed Hula III and Matthew Grayson.

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