Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (Bridgestone), a subsidiary of the world’s largest tire and rubber company and a Worldwide Olympic Partner, today announced its support for U.S. Olympian Erin Jackson (long track speedskating) ahead of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
Remarkably, Jackson has only been training on ice for a combined total of five months. Transitioning from a successful in-line skating career, she originally chartered a course to compete for a speedskating spot at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. But in a stunning performance at the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Long Track, the Ocala, Florida native dropped a remarkable .7 seconds off her personal best time to finish third overall and become the first African-American woman to earn a spot on Team USA’s long track speedskating team.
“Erin knows what it means to perform your best when it matters most, and that’s exactly what she did in at the U.S. trials in Milwaukee earlier this month,” said Phil Pacsi, Vice President of Sports and Events Marketing and Training, Bridgestone Americas, Inc. “She truly embodies the notion of ‘clutch performance’ that is central to our U.S. marketing campaign for PyeongChang 2018, as well as our global Olympic message, which aims to inspire people to persevere in pursuit of their dreams. We’re very proud to welcome her to Team Bridgestone.”
The partnership with Bridgestone marks Jackson’s first endorsement deal as an Olympian. In addition to providing financial support and access to cutting-edge Bridgestone products and technologies, the partnership also is helping ensure Jackson sees a few familiar faces in South Korea.
“It’s been a whirlwind since I crossed the finish line at trials, but the support I’ve received has been incredible,” said Jackson. “I’m really excited to work with Bridgestone as I start this next stage of my journey and chase my dreams in PyeongChang. And it means a lot that they’re offering support at a time that will make it possible for some of my family to travel to share this special experience with me.”
Team Bridgestone athletes are selected based on criteria related to the company’s core values, their personal stories, performance attributes and community involvement.
Jackson will compete in the women’s 500 meters event on February 18 in PyeongChang. She joins fellow Team USA athletes Nathan Chen (figure skating), Elana Meyers Taylor (bobsled), Amy Purdy (para snowboarding), Evan Strong (para snowboarding) and Ashley Wagner (figure skating) as a part of Team Bridgestone USA.
In addition to the company’s support of Team Bridgestone athlete ambassadors and its standing as a Worldwide Olympic Partner, Bridgestone is a partner of the United States Olympic Committee and U.S. Paralympics through 2024. Bridgestone also became the first Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel in August 2016, signing a four-year agreement to support the groundbreaking digital platform in its mission to celebrate the Olympic Movement and the world’s greatest athletes every day of the year.
To learn more about Team Bridgestone, visit BridgestoneAmericas.com.