Gymnastics is hardly a top priority for most sports enthusiasts, but every four years it becomes the most well-liked Summer Olympics competitors. It also shines a light on the small-town company that produces the group’s swimsuits.
On Wednesday, USA Gymnastics unveiled the spandex and clothing their women and men athletes may wear at the Paris Olympics from GK Elite, the company is based in Reading, Penn., where the clothes are designed, cut and assembled. The swimsuits are usually visible to spectators before the athletes leave on the mats for the Games, but this year the U.S. uniforms were first revealed in advance of the Olympic contest. Before the opposition, replica variations of the clothing will be on GK Elite’s site and at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
” Our sport crosses over to]popular ] culture every four years, and we get this amazing opportunity”, Matt Cowan, CEO of GK’s parent company Elite Sportswear, said in a video interview. Cowan partnered with USAG to provide the first deployment, so that both girls and boys can use the clothing as they praise on Team USA in Paris. This is no different from NFL and NBA fans adoring jerseys while watching their favorite people, so the company partnered with USAG.
GK has carved out a strong position in athletics, with a global market share of more than 60 % for garments, according to Cowan. GK’s holding business, Elite Sportswear, has two other major brands, Dolfin clothing and Omni Cheer, and it is lot owned by private equity firm Riverside Company. Elite has about 500 workers. Cowan did not remark on the company’s overall income.
This is GK’s next Olympics as the standard partner for USA Gymnastics. The company made clothes for past U. S. Olympic team, but the branding of big companies, such as Adidas, Reebok and Under Armour, adorned the clothes, with GK serving as the union’s sponsor. When the sport was at its height, these large conglomerates wanted to rent the space, but GK made the product because it is a specific product, Cowan said.
Prior to the Tokyo Olympics, GK assumed the role of the formal partner. Cowan claims that GK was able to achieve a favorable monetary return on investment, but that the business had additional, more direct, goals. According to Cowan,” the health of USA Gymnastics is very important to our company in terms of people wanting to participate and engage in activities and the next generation of sportsmen.”
In 2023, there were 4.8 million active members in athletics, and cooperation typically grows almost 15 % after the Olympics. In those years, GK’s core business increased by 15 % to 20 %, and Cowan believes that the introduction of apparel ahead of the Games will result in a “longer and stronger demand for the product.”
Superstar dancer Simone Biles, competing in her second Games this time, is a lifelong GK sponsor, and each part of this year’s team, including the two switches, is sponsored by GK. Four athletes have personal lines associated with the organization. More than 47, 000 Swarovski stones are included in the eight opposition swimsuits for women.
GK did likewise dress eight different gymnastics team in Paris, including Canada, Australia and the Netherlands.