Arena (swimwear)
Arena is a brand of competitive swimwear created in 1973 at Adidas France, by its president Horst Dassler. Sold by Adidas in 1990, the brand now represents two unrelated product lines.
With its headquarters in Tolentino, Italy, the Arena brand has a presence in 103 countries around the globe. With direct representation through wholly owned subsidiaries in Italy, France, Germany, and the USA, the group also employs a network of qualified business partners in 86 countries, while the Japan-based Descente Group owns and manages the brand in 11 countries of the Far East.
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[edit] Arena in Europe
After Adidas and Sarragan in France, the brand has changed hands among 3 German and Italian investment houses. The holding's products are most popular in Europe, though offered internationally, except the Far East.
The company markets a high-technology line of swimwear using their Powerskin fabric, which is said to be less absorbent of moisture and reduce drag due to its second-skin compression fit.
Alexander Popov, César Cielo, Frédérick Bousquet, Laure Manaudou, Gary Hall Jr., Rebecca Soni, Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Alexander Dale Oen are among well-known swimmers seen competing in Arena swim suits.
Arena also makes specialty swimwear for triathlon and water polo.
[edit] Arena by Descente
Descente, a Japanese maker of sporting apparel, owns the Arena trademark in Southeast Asia and has been putting it on its swimwear since 1976. Today, Arena is a top domestic brand of performance swimwear in Japan.
Arena by Descente shares no design or technological heritage with the products of (European) Arena. Hence there are essentially two distinct brands using the Arena name and logo, and they have existed almost equally long.
[edit] Production offshoring
Arena's swimwear was made in France until April 2007, when its factory at Libourne (near Bordeaux) closed, with over 160 lay-offs. Arena is now made in China.
Arena by Descente is also largely made in China, although, as of 2008, some models are still labeled as made in Japan.
[edit] Sponsored Athletes
Alexander Dale Oen, Norway
Rebecca Soni, United States
Sarah Sjöström, Sweden
Yuliya Efimova, Russia
Therese Alshammar, Sweden
Paul Biedermann, Germany
Francesca Halsall, United Kingdom
Emily Seebohm, Australia
Eric Shanteau, United States
Cesar Cielo, Brazil
Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe
[edit] Sponsored Universities
Arena sponsors the thirteen time national champion Auburn University men's and women's swimming and diving teams, as well as UC-Berkeley's men's swim team
