Bridgestone Partners with U.S. Olympic, Paralympic Athletes

Bridgestone Americas Inc. is partnering with six U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, who will represent the brand as members of “Team Bridgestone.”

As part of the partnership, Meb Keflezighi (track & field, marathon), Cullen Jones (swimming), Aly Raisman (gymnastics), Kelley O’Hara (soccer), Khatuna Lorig (archery), and Will Groulx (para-cycling) will participate in both employee and consumer-facing communications and marketing efforts leading up to and during the Olympics. The athletes will also receive financial support and access to Bridgestone’s cutting-edge products and technologies, the tiremaker said.

Four-time track and field Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson has also partnered with Bridgestone to serve as the “coach” of an internal program to offer performance-based training and inspiration to Bridgestone’s retail employees.

“Athletes are the driving force of the Olympic Games and represent the heart of the Olympic Movement,” said Gary Garfield, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas Inc. “They are also Bridgestone customers who drive to and from their daily training sessions and, like Bridgestone tires, are built to perform – no matter the weather conditions or the distance.”

Bridgestone Corp. announced its official TOP Worldwide Olympic Partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on June 13, 2014, and will make a long-term commitment to the Olympic Movement through 2024.

To learn more about Team Bridgestone visit BridgestoneAmericas.com.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."