Before her Olympic debut in the Rio Games, Simone Biles made headlines for her partnership with Nike in 2015. Who doesn’t remember their iconic Just Do It campaign with the gymnast? Not only did she appear in video and print advertisements, but she even represented the brand on the world’s biggest stage. As iconic as that pairing was, it unfortunately ended in 2021. With great power comes great responsibility, and she took that to heart.

Stepping away from the sportswear giants, the Olympian instead signed on with Gap Inc.’s Athleta in the same year. When the company first announced their partnership, its president, Mary Beth Laughton, stated that the gymnast’s mission to champion the next generation of female athletes matched theirs. They looked forward to taking that mission forward with the G.O.A.T. onboard.

After a stellar performance in the French capital, she climbed the ranks as one of the most decorated athletes. Simone is aware that people look up to her as an inspiration, and the 11x Olympic medalist chose to wield her influence with her longtime partnership. So, as the year ended, the company returned the favor by giving her a well-earned shoutout. On December 29, Athleta reflected on their third year together, sharing their appreciation for the Olympian with a video of images and moments from a productive and promising 2024 on their Instagram.

However, the heartwarming yet powerful caption is what caught everyone’s attention. They expressed their gratitude: “After spending 2024 with @simonebiles, we have just two words: Thank you. From following you to Paris to traveling across the country with the @goldoveramericatour. From iconic photoshoots to your @netflix debut. We’re honored to have been with you every step of the way. Already excited for 2025. Here’s to the #PowerOfShe” If anyone has had a busy year, it would have to be the 7x Olympic gold medalist.

While Simone Biles‘ picked up her Olympic gold numbers 5, 6, and 7 in Paris, Athleta had something big in store, too. This year, the company reported sales of $419 million. However, this was down by -4% from the previous year, and comparable sales were down -10%. On the other hand, the performance improved sequentially compared to the prior quarter. The gymnast even put her partnership with the company to good use by launching her first product collaboration this year.

The athletic collection features apparel for both children and women, making this multi-generational. Their previous collection, Athleta Girl, which was launched in 2021, was only meant for adult women. The relatively affordable product line consists of five products for women and two for girls. It also features a functional belt bag and ranges between $28 and $199. With this move, the Olympian made her products accessible to families looking to dress the next generation of young gymnasts. Point to note is, when it comes to move away from Nike, Simone is not alone in that. Olympians like Breanna Stewart and Ogwumike sisters are also on that list. So what is driving them? 

It seems that all stems from the shift of priorities of the athletes. These days, they are more interested in joining hands with brands that goes with their ethics and also something that they believe in. Indeed, Nike is still THE choice for most young athletes, but the more established and matured ones seems to have shifted to more niche marketing. Brands like Puma and Under Armour focused more on individually marketing their athletes rather than the mass marketing approach used by Nike.

“Where others saw risk, Puma took advantage of it. Women’s basketball players deserve to have signature shoes,” said WNBA legend Breanna Stewart when asked about her shift from Nike to Puma, reports The Ringer. Dr. Courtney Cox, an assistant professor of race and sport in the Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies department at the University of Oregon, perfectly explains Nike’s predicament.

“Athletes are in a position where you start to think about what you need. You think about your own kind of brand and the potential of that. I think kind of divesting from Nike is just one way that’s starting to happen as they’re starting to build these new kinds of branding portfolios. Nike is becoming less and less valuable because of this kind of tiering that’s happening in terms of who they focus on and who is promoted within these larger corporations,” Cox said, as reported by Yahoo Sports. This aligns nicely to what Simone had said about joining Athleta.

Why did the gymnast part ways with Nike?

While Simone has never spoken anything against the brand, she had reportedly felt overlooked during her time in Nike. A Nike ad highlighting Black female athletes did not include any recognizable images of Biles. But on record, she had given out a strong reason to join hands with Athleta.

“I felt like it wasn’t just about my achievements; it was what I stood for and how [Nike wasn’t] going to help me use my voice and also be a voice for females and kids,” the 27-year-old explained. On the other hand, Athleta seemed to align with her views, not just as an athlete but also as an individual outside the gym. Athleta seemed to practiced what they preached.

Back in 2021, Athleta and Gap (GPS) Inc. were both run by women. Gap (GPS) CEO Sonia Syngal, a native of India, was one of only 40 women CEOs of a Fortune 500 company and one of few women of color in a top job for companies on the list. It was also one of few major companies with a female chief executive and chief financial officer. Also, not to be overlooked, Nike has faced criticism over over how it has treated athletes who become pregnant.

In 2019, several Nike-sponsored athletes publicly pressured the company to extend financial support for athletes who have infants at home. One of the most notable of them, 7x Olympic champion sprinter, Allyson Felix said she was offered 70% less by Nike after she had an emergency C-section in 2018. However, After Felix’s column in the New York Times, Nike announced it would change its policy related to pregnant athletes. And guess what? After splitting with Nike, Felix had also signed with Athleta.

Yet three years after parting ways with Nike, Simone Biles was spotted in a chic fit by her ex-sponsors during podium training at the U.S. Olympic Trials. The 27-year-old shared playful images on Instagram as she posed in a brown Nike sweatshirt and biker shorts before the event’s logo. But what could have brought this on?

Nike secured a multi-cycle deal with USA Gymnastics through the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. The president, Li Li Leung, was over the moon about the partnership with the athletic powerhouse. “It is incredible that a corporate partner such as Nike… (has) the trust in us and belief in us that we have turned around,” she stated. The gymnast might not be with her ex-sponsors anymore. However, her partnership with Athleta seems to be thriving and has catapulted her as an example of how athletes can flex their influence. What did you think of their powerful message for the queen of gymnastics?