I could have sworn Lionel was on twitter, but it appears he pulled that down. But here you go.

Gwen
Twitter- 44,035
Instagram- 190,847
YouTube- 48.5k
Facebook- 96k

Lionel
Twitter-NA
Instagram- 190,569
Youtube- 112k
Facebook- 44k

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

I run in Skechers Razors, which is what Lionel was wearing when he was sponsored by them. At 6.4oz with solid cushioning they are an excellent light long distance shoe. I hope they keep producing them as they stack up with anything imo. I think they're very much focused on the casual shoe market rather than performance shoes. I'd love to see them increase their performance line and grab a few top tier triathletes to sponsor. It would bring a lot of additional exposure to their brand. Sanders and Beal have been great brand ambassadors for Skechers.

The Skechers Performance line is pretty wide.

https://www.runningwarehouse.com/catpage-MRSSKECHERS.html

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Hahaha - yeah, I'm just a 2:08 guy...

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DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

Canada is not Europe. FYI. Canada is in Nike's North America region. Managed as part of the North American territories within the North American region.


Nike Canada - to the best of my knowledge operates as a completely separate and on their own business entity! If a Canadian athlete (Triathlete) is sponsored by Nike Canada, it's typically one of those substantially smaller regional deals, with not a great deal of $$ involved. Of course there are always exceptions . . for exceptional athletes! Simon Whitfield is an example, of an athlete who had a formal relationship with Nike Canada, that while I have no idea of specifics, was probably a good deal for him!

there is a bust of Dave Scott on the campus

I've been to the Nike Campus and had a personal tour of the place by a longtime Nike Employee, who is a good friend and also been involved in triathlon since the early days, and I don't recall seeing a Dave Scott bust anywhere. Not saying, there is not one - perhaps it was installed later (that tour was about 10 years ago). However it would seem odd, because, Dave when he was at his best, was never sponsored by Nike - I recall Brooks and Saucony, and more recently as a Coach there was a relationship with Hoka.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Good thing that stock will end up in the tank because this is not true. Gwen has a stronger following outside of triathlon because of the Olympic medal and parenthood. Lionel is huge in triathlon, which is really, really small.


EVERYTHING has changed with marketing these days but in the older more traditional times here's a great example of the impact of the Olympic Games vs success at IRONMAN.

Within the space of a year, Canada was fortunate to have an IRONMAN World Champion - Peter Reid - and an Olympic Games Gold Medalist and Champion - Simon Whitfield.

Both men are good friends of mine. Nothing against Peter and to take nothing away from his significant achievements and IM World Championship wins, but those wins garnered only a small amount of press in Canada - a small news-wire story tucked in the back of the sports section of the newspaper. When Simon one the Gold Medal in Sydney - it was the lead story on nightly TV News casts and Sports Casts that day, and was Front Page news with a picture in many newspapers across the country the following day! The day after that I was a guest on the CBC National Breakfast Television Morning show, being asked about the significance of Simon's win?

It's a whole different level of coverage and recognition. Back then an IRONMAN win was big WITHIN the sport of triathlon. An Olympic win was big inside and OUTSIDE the world of triathlon. I recall walking our dog at the time in a park in Vancouver, and a bunch of people standing around as Dog Owners do while there Dogs run around and talk about the weather, and the news. I made no mention of my involvement in the sport of triathlon, but these people were spontaneously talking about Simon's Gold Medal win in Sydney, and talking about Simon in a tone like they were talking about their own son! That's the power of the Olympic Games!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Btw, I was wrong, I went back in my pics and it was Mark Allen, not Dave Scott. Either way, I don't recall him having a sponsorship either but I wasn't around in that era so someone else might confirm. There are a ton of those busts so its easy to miss but it looks like it has been around for a while. I have only worked there for 2 years so could be wrong on how long its been there.

Nike Canada has a legal entity as does operations in every single country, but the way the company operates its businesses, as strobro helpfully pointed out, is by region (NA/EMEA/GC/APLA). Only kind of oddity is that "North America" only contains US & Canada, while Mexico falls into APLA, which is how many businesses run...even if it annoys my geographic mindset!

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

^ this
And the Max road 4+ is a great daily trainer. Has almost the pop of the Nike carbon shoes.
But I also agree they have serious branding issue and the website is total shit

Just some random notes from this thread:

Triathlon Taren
Instagram 62,000
YouTube 130,000
Must be something in the Canadian water!

Skechers - No brand issues. Their total volume dwarfs everyone but Nike and adidas. They play in performance because they can not because they need it. Their athlete of choice right now is King Ches. He’s racing this weekend in Texas and it should be fun to watch. I should say that’s their performance athlete right now. When they run a Super Bowl ad with Joe Montana they will do in a month what most will do in a year.

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Dave Jewell
Free Run Speed

This is pedantic. But Nike Canada is a part of a Nike North America. Just like Nike UK, Nike France, Nike Germany, are all managed as a part of Nike Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA).

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Surprised that this is news or confusing to anyone. Most huge companies operate this way.

Global HQ -> Regional HQ -> Country HQ

This thread of defining a pb/pr is too funny. Seriously, this could easily be a Seinfeld episode. If only i could recreate my 16 year old self so i can have another shot at my 5k pb....

FWIW, I’ve run in Skechers performance shoes since 2016 after a lifetime of ASICS and i have no reasons to switch. They provide a great product line to meet anything i could be looking for.... although i have not tried the carbon shoes, i figure I’ve outrun most everything they offer with only the Forza (pre hype burst foam) on the do not buy again buy list... ya, the website is for sure bit wonky but a small frustration for something as important as a shoe to support iron distance training...

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What cracks me up the most about this thread is the fact that, while the worlds triathlon media has turned its attention to the SUB7/SUB8 Challenge, Slowtwitch is more concerned about Lionel's freakin' shoes....Just bloody classic stuff! Hahaha!
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But really, the sub 7 and 8 wont matter right? Because, ya know, it’ll be mechanically assisted - you’re right, this thread has been one of my favourite! LMBO..... so much so that it caused me to make my first ever slowtwitch post... bahahahahha

Unless the shoe is banned or, the bike is banned or, the swimsuit is banned... its a PR / Record. End of story.

Otherwise my 10 mile bike TT PR is on my steel tubed 14 speed nishiki with Scott DH bars, aerodisc fabric wheel cover, 19mm tires pumped to 125 psi and I can never duplicate those conditions from 1989 again!!!

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DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

or my Vitus on Conti tubulars, 170psi, j-disk, also from about 1989 with a forward seatpost. (I did actually beat that PR in 2019 on the same 15 mile course, 25.0mph). It took 30 years of technology for me to do it. Actually, being more aero was the key.

you can have a classic bike PR and modern bike PR. lionel is comparing to a different gear era PR.

Omg

Do you have a different PR for every pair of shoes you have ever raced in; different PRs for each bike (including every time you choose a new brand of tires); different PR for each pool you race in?

never heard of that before. seems absurd.

I'll give you this - your ability to ride a dead horse completely into the ground is incredible...

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DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

The only caveat I’ll say to this is a few things.

1st if it’s an legal equipment you use it. No questions asked.

However I also note why it’s suddenly an PR. Like I know the “advantage” it gives my athletes vs regular equipment. So it would be idiotic not to use said equipment in race situations. So I’m not saying we have to go all eddy mercx equipment and no shoes like we are caveman, I’m saying I understand that when you use legal equipment that is SO MUCH better when you use it, it’s an PR but also with an mental note for me (just so I know how/why it’s a good performance).

Again if it’s legal go wear it, and it’s legal allowed to go in record books. I just take note of when for example if my athletes wear the shoes and when they don’t. I know if they set an PR w the equipment that PR now is going to have to take extra special effort/aid to get it again etc. But again it’s legal so do it and I’m not going to call you “equipment doping” on that soap box.

For same reason I don’t compare a 2020 NFL qb who throws for 5k yards a year to an 1978 all pro qb who threw for 50% less attempts and yards. It’s an entirely different sport essentially. we are in a pass happy nfl now where 40 years ago it was still a very much run dominant league.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II