A Swiss performing running brand that has received financial backing from Roger Federer has been named as one of the clothing suppliers for the Swiss Olympic team.
On, which was created back in 2010, has been named as one of the official partners of the Swiss team for the Tokyo Olympic Games, which has been delayed until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company will be supplying shoes and apparel to athletes in part of their contract which will go up to 2028. On will work alongside fellow company OCHSNER SPORT under the agreement.
News of the deal was confirmed by Federer in a video, where he also once again reiterated his intention to play at the Olympics next year at the age of 39. The 20-time Grand Slam champion invested into the company last November as part of their endorsement agreement. Details of the amount invested have not been made public, but Forbes magazine says Federer now has a ‘significant’ equity stake. On products are available in an estimated 6000 retailers across 55 countries.
“I am pleased to announce that On is to be a new partner of the Swiss Olympic. This means that all swiss athletes at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year will be wearing On clothes and shoes. Of course, I hope I’ll be there too. I also think it’s great that this partnership supports both young athletes and Paralympians. This is wonderful news and I hope that Swiss athletes are looking forward to collaborating with ON,” Federer said.
The development comes just weeks after Federer launched his very own trainers with On. Called ‘The Roger’ it was created following a collaboration between the two and is described as a ‘tennis-inspired’ product. It was launched on the 17th anniversary of Federer winning his first Wimbledon title.
“I love working with the On team, using my knowledge of performance footwear and personal interest in fashion to contribute to product development. I’m proud to be a part of the creation of The Roger, which is the most comfortable tennis-inspired sneaker you will ever wear.” He told reporters last month.
Federer’s business ventures comes during his extended break from the sport due to injury. He last played a competitive match at the Australian Open where he lost in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic. Soon after that he underwent surgery on his right knee prior to the announcement the Tour would be halted due to COVID-19. A couple months later he underwent a second procedure that has ruled him out of action for the remainder of 2020.
Despite the setbacks, one of Federer’s coaches have stated that he still intends to return to action at the start of 2021. During a recent interview with Novi List, Ivan Ljubicic assured that everything was ‘under control.’
“Everything is under control. We are planning the next season,” he said. “It is a wish and a dream for everything to be like in 2017, but it is clear that every situation is new. Anyway, we have one positive experience so we are all positive.”
We are incredibly excited to announce that On will partner with @swissolympic and Ochsner Sport to equip the Swiss Olympic, Paralympic and Junior teams with On products from now through to 2028. Read more: https://t.co/aEHZhPpXhS pic.twitter.com/urAoyeqsn8
— On (@on_running) July 23, 2020
