EUGENE, Oregon — German sporting goods giant Puma will unveil two-time Olympic Games sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah as their newest brand ambassador at a press conference set to be held here in Eugene, Oregon.

Details of the contract are expected to be outlined at the event, scheduled to start at midday local time, after Puma announced the deal yesterday via press release.

The five-time Olympic champion, who was previously contracted to American brand Nike, joins a long list of Jamaican stars to sign to Puma, including Olympic sprint hurdles champion Hansle Parchment, Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper, World and Olympic medallist Shericka Jackson and past stars such as Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell.

Thompson-Herah gave a hint of what was to come on Monday when she was dressed in a Puma branded outfit and footwear while leaving the Norman Manley International Airport with other members of the team headed to Eugene for the World Championships.

As the Jamaica Observer reported earlier this week, Thompson-Herah has had a frosty relationship with Nike in recent months and removed the company as a sponsor from her social media bio after the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The omission took place during a period when fans of the Jamaican were complaining about the brand’s limited promotion of the 10.54-seconds sprinter compared to less-successful American athletes.

The release from Puma said: “Five-time Olympic champion and fastest woman alive Elaine Thompson-Herah. The 30-year-old Jamaican will further boost the company’s impressive roster of track and field athletes ahead of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA.

“Elaine Thompson-Herah is the first woman in history to win the ‘sprint double’ at consecutive Olympics, capturing gold in both the 100-metre and 200-metre at the 2016 Rio Olympics and again at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Apart from her historic Olympic achievements, Elaine Thompson-Herah became the fastest woman alive when she ran 10.54 seconds at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, USA, in 2021.

“We are thrilled that Elaine has chosen to join the Puma family,” said Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden. “With her speed she embodies everything we stand for as a brand. Elaine ran the second-fastest time in women’s history last year and is only 0.05 seconds off a world record. She really targets the 100-metre world record and we want to help her achieve that goal with our most innovative performance products.”

Thompson-Herah was quoted to have said, “Puma just felt like the right fit, a company that has been working with the World’s Fastest Man for decades. I’m excited to be part of such an elite group and can’t wait to get started. I really want to break the 100-metre world record. The current one has been undefeated for 34 years. Now is the time. I think there’s still a lot I can unleash.”

— Paul Reid