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The partnership between Phil Knight and Steve Prefontaine played a significant role in the growth of Nike. Prefontaine, a renowned middle-distance runner, became a Nike athlete, which helped to elevate the brand's status in the sports world. Despite his disappointing performance at the 1972 Olympics, Prefontaine's association with Nike provided the company with a high-profile athlete endorsement, which was crucial for a young company trying to establish itself in a competitive market. This partnership not only boosted Nike's visibility but also helped to solidify its reputation as a brand for serious athletes.
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Back in 1970, I'd heard about the fastest middle-distance runner in the world, a young Oregonian brimming with self-confidence, called Steve Prefontaine. At that time, we were still a small, struggling company called Blue Ribbon; importing batches of running shoes from Japan, trying to figure out how to get them distributed and sold, with no budget for sponsoring athletes. But I kept my eye on the young guy from Oregon who was coached by my friend and partner Bill Bowerman. By 1972 we had started making Nike shoes and Steve, now known as Pre, was a track and field superstar. He was a fluid, poetic runner, an extrovert who pushed hard to win, and I really wanted him as a Nike athlete. But at the 1972 Olympics, haunted by the terrorist attacks that hit the games that year, Pre came in fourth. After that, he was despondent, adrift, and above all broke.
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The iconic Nike sporting goods company started over 50 years ago as a ‘crazy idea’ in the mind of a young runner in Oregon. Shoe Dog is Phil Knight’s ...
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