Nike has long been one of the biggest allies of American athletes. And with decades of lucrative contracts and high-profile sponsorships, it is no surprise that every athlete worth their mettle seeks to be part of the ‘Swoosh’. But in recent years, there has been some growing discord between the brand and its athletes. And it looks like some new A-listers by the names of Grant Holloway and Noah Lyles have also joined this list. But is this a sign of the 30-billion-dollar giant’s end of dominance or something else?
But the most shocking development of this newfound hate against Nike came when sprinting sensation Gout Gout chose Adidas over it. The 16-year-old has been making waves around the world due to his breaking Usain Bolt’s U-20 record. And recently he made it clear that he would be choosing the Germans over the American giants. The Australian recorded 20.60 at the 200m event, cementing himself in the current track scene. But his recent decision has the netizens talking.
Noah Lyles and Grant Holloway appeared on the Beyond the Records podcast, sharing unpreserved opinions about Nike and other significant sports brands. The latest shake-up in track and field became the main subject of their conversation after Gout Gout signed an announcement-making Adidas deal.
He continued with, “F**k Nike. If you really want to go nitty-gritty, like me, I am a very relationship-type person. Everything that I do is very family-oriented, or it’s based on a relationship, and for me, I think not even really with Nike. Like, obviously, I have a vendetta against them because I felt like they told me things, but then they never really followed up.” But this has not been an isolated incident on Nike’s part either. Grant also chipped in on how Nike doesn’t respect its relationships with its athletes.
Grant Holloway made his discontent clear on the divide between Nike’s services and their promises. He mentions, “I just felt like for them they basically said things, but they never really, you know, showed any action. It was basically like the old model that we always say, Actions speak louder than words, so like, it really wasn’t.”
Statistics reveal significant data points about this situation. The decline of Nike’s brand value reached $1.4 billion in 2024, and this indicates splintering dominance across their market. The sports brand Nike maintains strong recognition despite its emerging problems in the track and field division. Athletes are now choosing superior offers from Adidas and Puma since Nike has experienced a decrease in brand value.
But Gout Gout’s Adidas deal is just one example of how the power dynamics in sponsorships are shifting. His decision wasn’t just about financial incentives but a deeper sentiment about Nike as well.
Into the dark side of sponsorships and Nike
Not all brands prioritize their athletes equally. And Gout Gout made that clear in the podcast when he explained why he chose Adidas over Nike. “For me, I feel like Nike is more of a brand. They want to promote their brand and not their athletes. And I feel like ads are more athlete-based and not brand-based. I feel like ads have more of a culture and more energy to them. I feel like Nike when you say Nike. You know it’s just Nike. But when you say ad, it is like you feel that passion.”
The global expansion of Nike’s brand dominates its strategic vision. Meanwhile, partnerships with its athletes show minimal advancement. Current track and field sponsors choose brands over Nike because they seek authentic backing instead of global visibility. Nike’s brand value reduction possibly reflects negatively on the company’s track and field reputation.
Nike’s $500 million sponsorship deal with USA Track & Field (USATF) has sparked concerns over athletic opportunities. Analysis by Rori Dunk on X revealed how deep financial backing from Nike enables the company to direct athletic development by merging the Nike High School Nationals with the USATF U20 Championships. And this could reduce competition outside of Nike athletes.
Nike achieves a significant advantage in recruiting young athletes through its control of USA Track & Field because of the growing name image and likeness deals. According to Dunk, the alternative qualification paths might exist yet he maintained caution regarding Nike’s powerful control over the system because it hindered any true fairness between athletes.
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