Arena (swimwear)
Encyclopedia
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of competitive swimwear
Competitive swimwear
Competitive swimwear generally refers to the Swimsuit, apparel, equipment and accessories used in the aquatic sports of swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, triathlon and water polo.- Brands :Female Swimsuits*Racerback*Kneeskin*Bodyskin*LZR Racer...
created in 1973 at Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
France, by its president Horst Dassler
Horst Dassler
Horst Dassler was the son of Adolf "Adi" Dassler, who founded Adidas. Horst Dassler started Adidas France in Landersheim, France, competing against his father's Adidas Germany and his uncle's Puma...
. Sold by Adidas in 1990, the brand now represents two unrelated product lines.
With its headquarters in Tolentino
Tolentino
Tolentino is a town and comune of about 20,000 inhabitants, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region of central Italy.It is located in the middle of the valley of the Chienti.-History:...
, 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.
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 EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, 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
Alexander Popov (swimmer)
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Popov ; is a Russian former Olympic gold-winning swimmer, widely regarded as one of the greatest sprint freestyle swimmers of all time.-Career:Born in Lesnoy, Sverdlovsk Oblast , Popov began swimming at age 8 at...
, César Cielo, Frédérick Bousquet
Frédérick Bousquet
Frédérick Bousquet is a freestyle and butterfly swimmer from France. He was the holder of the world record in the 50 m freestyle in a time of 20.94 in long course, set on April 26, 2009 at the final of the French Championships...
, Laure Manaudou
Laure Manaudou
Laure Manaudou |Rhône]]) is a French Olympic, world and European champion swimmer. She is the daughter of a French father and a Dutch mother.- 2004 Olympics :...
, Gary Hall Jr., Rebecca Soni
Rebecca Soni
Rebecca Soni is an American breaststroke swimmer and three-time Olympic medalist. She currently holds the world record in the 100 and 200 m breaststroke and is a former world-record holder in the 100 and 200 m breaststroke .Soni has won a total of nineteen medals in major...
, Ranomi Kromowidjojo
Ranomi Kromowidjojo
Ranomi Kromowidjojo is a Dutch swimmer who mainly specializes in freestyle but also has potential in backstroke and butterfly events. As part of the Dutch team, she holds the world records in the 4×50 m and 4×200 m freestyle relays on short course , and 4×100 m freestyle relay on long course...
and Alexander Dale Oen
Alexander Dale Oen
Alexander Dale Oen is a Norwegian swimmer. He represents the club Vestkantsvømmerne. Dale Oen's gold at the 2008 European Championships made him the first Norwegian male to win a medal at a major international long course championship.Oen got his international breakthrough in 2005, placing seventh...
are among well-known swimmers seen competing in Arena swim suits.
Arena also makes specialty swimwear for triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
.
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.
Production offshoring
Arena's swimwear was made in France until April 2007, when its factory at LibourneLibourne
Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
(near Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
) 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.
Sponsered Athletes
Alexander Dale OenAlexander Dale Oen
Alexander Dale Oen is a Norwegian swimmer. He represents the club Vestkantsvømmerne. Dale Oen's gold at the 2008 European Championships made him the first Norwegian male to win a medal at a major international long course championship.Oen got his international breakthrough in 2005, placing seventh...
, Norway
Rebecca Soni
Rebecca Soni
Rebecca Soni is an American breaststroke swimmer and three-time Olympic medalist. She currently holds the world record in the 100 and 200 m breaststroke and is a former world-record holder in the 100 and 200 m breaststroke .Soni has won a total of nineteen medals in major...
, United States of America
Sarah Sjöström
Sarah Sjöström
Sarah Fredrika Sjöström is a Swedish swimmer. On 22 March 2008, at the age of 14, she took the gold medal in women's 100 m butterfly at the 2008 European Aquatics Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands. She was clocked for 58.44 seconds...
, Sweden
Yuliya Efimova
Yuliya Efimova
Yuliya Andreyevna Yefimova , also romanized Efimova, is a Russian swimmer from Taganrog.- References :* from the 2008 Olympics....
, Russia
Therese Alshammar
Therese Alshammar
Malin Therese Alshammar is a Swedish swimmer who has won three Olympic medals, 25 World Championship medals, and 43 European Championship medals. Standing at 1.80 m, she is a specialist of short races in freestyle and butterfly...
, Sweden
Paul Biedermann
Paul Biedermann
Paul Biedermann is a German swimmer from Halle and a former 200 and 400 metre freestyle long course world champion. He also holds the long course and short course world records in these events.-Career:...
, Germany
Francesca Halsall
Francesca Halsall
Francesca Jean Halsall is a British freestyle and butterfly swimmer.Halsall was the youngest member of the Team England swim squad at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne where she won silver medals in the 4×100 m freestyle and 4×100 m medley relays.She was a member of the European...
, United Kingdom
Emily Seebohm
Emily Seebohm
Emily Jane Seebohm OAM is an Australian backstroke, freestyle, butterfly and individual medley swimmer.-Career:...
, Australia
Eric Shanteau
Eric Shanteau
Eric Lee Shanteau is an American Olympic swimmer. He lives and trains in Austin, Texas.-College:...
, United States of America
Cesar Cielo
César Cielo
César Augusto Cielo Filho is a Brazilian professional swimmer who specializes in sprint events...
, Brazil
Kirsty Coventry
Kirsty Coventry
Kirsty Leigh Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States...
, Zimbabwe