Puma Considered Dropping Jamaican Sprint King Usain Bolt

Jochen Zeitz the former CEO of German sports goods manufacturer PUMA says he had considered dropping sponsorship of Usain Bolt following poor results by the Jamaican during the 2004 Athens Olympic games. Zeitz told CNBC News that he had a meeting with his team at Puma where they decided to release Bolt who joined the brand in 2002. The former Puma CEO said it was only after a couple of weeks later that he changed his mind and decided to stick with Bolt. The Jamaican then turned to his new coach Glen Mills and the rest is history. Looking back Zietz stated that he would have “bitten” himself if he had actually stopped sponsoring Bolt.