Li Ning Company Limited has officially added the USA Diving Team to its line-up of global talent, expanding its presence on the main stage of the Olympics as USA Diving Team’s official apparel sponsor through 2012.
The sponsorship, which was unanimously approved by the USA Diving Board, will provide a full outfitting package to USA Diving national teams and will offer an additional cash component to be used to support USA Diving programs.
“After a year-long search, we are proud to announce this new partnership, which is an incredibly positive opportunity for USA Diving and our athletes,” said Bob Rydze, chairman of USA Diving’s board of directors. “We are honored to work with Li-Ning.”
“Diving is one of the key attractions and competitions at the Olympic Games” said Jay Li, general manager for Li-Ning international. “It attracts broad global attention and is a fan favorite in both China and the United States. This will be the second USA Olympic team we sponsor next to Team USA Table Tennis, and by forging this partnership, I believe, we will be able to further energize our competitive brand here in the USA.”
“Watching Li Ning light the cauldron at the opening ceremonies in Beijing is something I'll never forget, and now to have his company as a sponsor of USA Diving is really exciting,” said three-time Olympian and USA Diving board member Laura Wilkinson, a 2000 Olympic gold medalist. “Li-Ning apparel is becoming increasingly more popular worldwide.”
Currently Li-Ning sponsors the following Olympic teams/players: Russian Pole vaulter Yelena Isinbaeva, Croatian Tennis Star Ivan Ljubicic, Chinese Badminton great Lin Dan, USA Table Tennis Team, Team China Table Tennis, Team China Shooting, Team China Gymnastics, Team China Diving, Team China Badminton, Team Argentina Basketball, Team Spain Basketball, Norwegian Javelin Thrower Andreas Thorkildsen, and Jamaican running star Asafa Powell.
