ASICS AND CHRISTOPHE LEMAITRE, THE GREAT ADVENTURE CONTINUES

Between ASICS Corporation and Christophe Lemaitre, the adventure is a lasting and enduring one. Indeed the Japanese brand has kitted out the young French sprinter since his early days as an athlete. Their first contract dates back to 2007 when Christophe Lemaitre celebrated his 17th birthday.

He’d already broken the French 200m record for 16-17 year olds with a time of 21’’08, but it wasn’t attracting the attention of international athletics. ASICS believed in him, predicting his fantastic athletic potential and detecting a personality, which was synonymous with the brand’s values: a taste for transcending one’s own capabilities, humility and spontaneity.

Since that time, they’ve never been apart. ASICS has supported Christophe Lemaitre in his progress, which was marked by three European titles last year in Barcelona, in the 100, 200 and 4×100 m (he’s the first sprinter to win all 3 titles), matched by five French records in the 100m since July 2010. His most recent performance resulted in a time of 9’’92, run on 29 July 2011 in Albi, which made him the third fastest European 100m sprinter in history, behind the Portuguese athlete Francis Obikwelu (9’’86) and the English athlete Linford Christie (9’’87).

“We feel a massive sense of pride having an athlete such as Christophe alongside us”, admits Didier Dreulle, CEO of ASICS France. “He’s like a nugget, a diamond which we discovered very early on, with his coach Pierre Carraz in Aix-les-Bains, and someone who has achieved what we dared to expect from him.”

“ASICS has always played a major, active role in athletics, and in Christophe Lemaitre we’ve found an extremely rare athlete as he perfectly embodies the company’s values, with a sound mind and a sound body”, confirms Marc Pinsard, Deputy Senior General Manager Global Sales & Marketing Division at ASICS Corporation. “His humility and his availability contribute, at least as much as his performance on the track, towards his growing popularity globally, including in Japan.”
  

This great adventure between an extraordinary champion and his sponsor has taken on a whole new dimension today. ASICS Corporation and Christophe Lemaitre have signed a new contract, this one lasting an additional five years. As such they are committing themselves up to the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. Christophe will be 26 by then. With this contract, the runner from Aix-les-Bains becomes the brand’s top European sprinter.

This new five-year commitment makes Christophe Lemaitre one of ASICS Corporation’s main global brand ambassadors, who will be featured in its international communications, in the same way as the Americans Lolo Jones (100m hurdles) and Ryan Hall (marathon), the Italian Stefano Baldini (marathon), and in the recent past, Swede Stefan Holm (high jump). Such an evolution is logical, natural almost, given his results on the track, as well as his impact on the public, in France, Europe and the rest of the world. In Japan, Christophe Lemaitre has won over his fans, appealing to them through his humility and his availability. It’s a passion which has proven to work both ways with the young athlete admitting that he’s fallen in love with the Japanese culture and mentality.

This new dimension will come to life next year by Christophe Lemaitre’s role in the brand’s international advertising campaign covering Europe, Africa, Japan, Australia and Asia / Pacific (available via TV, Print and Web). The sequence devoted to Pierre Carraz’ student was filmed in Paris, back in July.

The partnership between Christophe Lemaitre and ASICS Corporation is also integrating a more technical chapter. Indeed the sprinter won’t just wear its athletic clothing and shoes. He’s also involved in the development of the products. This collaboration, a first for a French athlete, began last January, when Christophe travelled with his coach Pierre Carraz to the ASICS Corporation’s headquarters in Kobe. Invited to take part to a very comprehensive series of tests and measurements within the brand’s research and development laboratory, he was able to provide critical input to ASICS’ engineers in the design of a custom-made model of running spikes.

Several prototypes were then manufactured. The latest model, whose technology combines lightness and robustness, was delivered to him in Aix-les-Bains early this summer. Christophe wore his new ASICS at the Diamond League Herculis meeting in Monaco, on 22 July 2011, where he ranked 5th in the 100m in a time of 10’’03. At the French championships in Albi, he set a new French record for the 100m of 9’’92, before going on to win the 200m in 20’’08, with a slightly favorable wind. In Daegu, Christophe Lemaitre is using this new model from the 100m series, designed solely for his own use and respecting his unique technical, physical and morphological specifications.

ASICS is in close contact with Christophe and his coach Pierre Carraz, literally supporting them every step of the way in their quest for high performance.

Agence Blanco Negro

Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body,” is an old Latin phrase from which ASICS is derived and the fundamental platform on which the brand still stands. The company was founded more than 60 years ago by Kihachiro Onitsuka and is now a leading designer and manufacturer of running shoes, as well as, other athletic footwear, apparel and accessories.

For more information, visit www.asics.com.