March 18, 1999--Pursuing Olympic gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters means years of training will produce results measured in fractions of a second. Ato Boldon knows that in his razor's edge sport, where success is defined in that narrow gap between the ticks of a stopwatch, each aspect of training is crucial. That is why adidas is proud to announce our new partnership with Ato Boldon, the reigning World Champion at 200 meters, and hope that we can play a role in helping Ato achieve his goal of becoming the world's fastest man.

The alliance between adidas and Ato is a natural fit, considering the traits that we share. Ato's inspiration is fellow Trinidad native Haseley Crawford, the 1976 Olympic 100 meter champion. But while Ato is driven by this hero from the past, he utilizes the best of what is currently available to better his running. Every detail of his training and racing is tailored to make him the fastest man alive. His coach is widely acknowledged as the best in the business. His training partners are his primary competition, pushing him day in and day out. Ato even keeps a library of videotapes of other sprinters so he can analyze their form. In short, Ato knows that challenging himself is the only way to get better. At adidas, we know this too. Although our heritage is rooted in making equipment for some of history's greates athletes, we also realize that we cannot become complacent in our quest to lead the industry. It is only through innovations in research, testing, and materials, that adidas, like Ato, can continue to set a new standard of excellence.

"adidas' objective is to provide Ato with functional shoes that can insure the optimum transfer of energy," Says Ciro Fusco, a research manager with the adidas Sydney 2000 Project. "In a sporting event where hundredths of a second might signify a gold medal, energy dissipation must be minimized. All results from adidas' long standing research pursuing efficiency and functionality will be applied through the making of Ato's shoes."

In this new relationship, adidas hopes to provide tools that will assist a talented artist like Ato to create races that are fairly viewed as masterpieces. His skills on the track are evident: In addidtion to his 200 meter World title, Ato owns personal bests of 9.86 for the 100 meters and 19.77 for the 200 meters. In 1998, he recorded the fastest official times in both the 100 and 200, making him the first man since Carl Lewis did it in 1987 to accomplish that feat. And Ato is just starting to realize his potential. He was the youngest athlete to ever run under 9.90 for the 100 meters. At age 22, Ato won bronze medals in both the 100 and 200 at the 1996 Olympic Games, and the 25-year-old already had run more sub-9.90 100 meter races than anyone else in history.

"I am extremely excited to have formed this alliance with adidas," Ato Says. "My first major titles [the 100 and 200 meters at the 1992 World Junior Championships] were won in adidas equipment, and adidas has continued to excel as a brand since that time. I feel honored to have associated myself with such a devoted group of talented professionals."