Millions in sponsorship lost

Press, 29 September 1988, Page 45

Millions in sponsorship lost

NZPA-Reuter Seoul The price of Ben Johnson’s disgrace at the Seoul Olympics could be SUSIO million in cancelled endorsements, sponsorship deals and appearance money. Even as he flew home, sponsors moved quickly to break their ties with the shamed Canadian. A source close to Johnson said all the sprinter’s sponsorship contracts paid a bonus for an Olympic gold medal or a world record but also have a doping clause in them. Johnson’s biggest contract is a fiveyear deal with Diadora, an Italian sports clothing firm, that is worth $2 million over five years. Diadora said it had cancelled the contract forthwith. Diadora, which also sponsors the Italian national soccer team, had hailed the five-year deal as the largest individual sponsorship contract ever agreed in athletics. Under the deal Johnson wore the firm’s running shoes, tracksuits and vests for a guaranteed payment of $1.5 million, rising to a maximum $2.8 million depending on his race performances. Diadora said its policy had always been to promote its products with the

help of the greatest athletes in the world, but it also sought to encourage sport as a “form of moral and physical growth for young people.” “For that reason, a champion, however great he may be, cannot remain associated with our firm if he betrays values of moral integrity and loyalty,” the statement said. Japan’s Kyodol Oil Co, whose one-year deal with Johnson expired in January, has pulled all television commercials and magazine advertisements featuring Johnson. Mazda Motor Co. also withdrew a sponsorship deal due for renewal in December. Under that contract, Johnson wore the Mazda company name on his racing bib during European and North American races. Mazda named 26-year-old Johnson its athlete of the year in 1986 and 1987 and gave him a sports car each year. The Johnson, makers of household cleaning products, had a contract with Johnson for the 1988 calendar year but began removing product posters featuring him on Tuesday. A Finnish advertising campaign featuring posters of Johnson to stress the healthy properties of milk has also been

withdrawn. Promotional material for the campaign will not be issued, said a spokesman for Valio, a nation-wide association of co-operative dairies. Johnson’s agent, Larry Heidebrecht, said in a biography of the sprinter published last month that if the Canadian won a gold in Seoul his earning potential betwen now and the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona would be about $lO million. The Canadian Olympic Association has also said Johnson will no longer receive a monthly stipend of SCSOO. Johnson’s market value soared after he set a 100 metres world record of 9.83 seconds at the world championships in Rome last year and his standard of living improved dramatically. While still in Italy, Johnson visited the Ferrari factory and ordered a custombuilt car valued at $U5250,000. The car was expected to be delivered to Johnson this fall. Johnson already owns four other expensive sports cars. Before the Olympic 100 metre final, which he dedicated to his mother Gloria, Johnson was supervising construction of a million dollar home near Toronto. The house was expected to be completed by December and it had separate living quarters for his mother.