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A Fresh Year for Symmonds, Signs with BrooksPublished by
Middle Distance Star Moves to SeattleBy Scott Bush On New Year’s Day, Nick Symmonds surprised his Twitter followers with a scenic nude photo and commentary saying, “For the first time in 7 years I am without an apparel sponsor. Forced to workout in the nude till a deal is signed.” With loads of track and field athletes competing without shoe and apparel sponsorship in 2013, it surprised few that yet another athlete wasn’t resigned, especially someone as unconventional as Symmonds. While Symmonds won World Championship silver this past summer in his two-lap specialty, he’s rubbed many in the track and field business world the wrong way, speaking for change in how athletes make their living. Whenever a worker speaks out against how things are currently established, employers generally aren’t too pleased, especially a Fortune 500 company that basically owns the sport. For Nike to not renew Symmonds’ contract isn’t shocking, especially in a non-championship year, but in a slow part of the season Symmonds’ announcement continued a growing discussion of dwindling support for track and field athletes. Whatever discussion Symmonds sparked on New Year’s Day quickly faded, however, as he announced a new contract with Brooks. The discussion now shifts to what this means for the track and field and the battle between shoe companies. Brooks Beasts: A Burgeoning Middle Distance PowerhouseIn case you missed it, Race Results Weekly’s David Monti wrote a terrific piece on the decade-long rise of U.S. middle distance running, concluding with some amazing finishes at the World Championships in Moscow. Symmonds, of course, was one of those success stories. In late 2013, as Andrew Wheating and Charles Jock both joined OTC Elite, it seemed as though that group, along with Symmonds and Mulder, shaped the best middle distance training group in the United States on the men’s side. However, Symmonds’ jump to Brooks means the Seattle-based company and their Brooks Beasts team is arguably the best middle distance stable of talent in the United States. Who are Symmonds’ new teammates? Lets start with 800m star Mark Wieczorek, world-class rabbit Matt Scherer, All-Americans Cas Loxsom and Riley Masters, and on the women’s side you have Katie Mackey and Phoebe Wright (among others). Brooks is making a play, building up their talent base and setting themselves up for a very successful 2014-2016 push. 2014 is already shaping up to be an exciting year in the sport. Non-championship years give athletes a chance to try new training, new distances and in Symmonds’ case a new city and support group. Here’s to a new year! More news
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