UK Athletics Set For Nike Switch

British Athletics has confirmed Nike as the new official kit supplier of Great Britain’s athletics team, according to media reports, in a seven-year deal believed to be worth around £15m to the organisation.

Chief executive Niels de Vos, who secured the deal, said: ‘We are thrilled to announce this new deal with Nike – the scale and length of their commitment is significant and demonstrates their confidence in the future of British Athletics.’

‘Nike will be a superb marketing partner across British Athletics and they have some very exciting plans to be announced in the near future.’

The Daily Telegraph also reported that value in kind elements have also been included in the deal.

The newspaper wrote on Tuesday that the Nike agreement followed the breakdown of the relationship between UK Athletics and Adidas.

Adidas took UK Athletics to court in the Netherlands last month citing a clause in its contract which allowed it to match any offer from a rival sportswear manufacturer, however, the court ruled in favour of UK Athletics, allowing the organisation to complete its deal with Nike.

Nike already has personal relationships with a number of UK athletes, including double Olympic and world champion Mo Farah.

An Adidas spokesman told the Daily Telegraph: ‘Obviously we had a relationship with UK Athletics and we’re disappointed that the court decision did not go our way. We would love to have reached the point where we could continue the partnership.’

Adidas has supplied Team GB kit since 2005, although its UK Athletics deal has always been separate from its commercial deal with the BOA.

If completed, the new long-term Nike deal would include showpiece events including the World Championships in Beijing in 2015 and the following edition at London’s Olympic Stadium in 2017.