Elizabeth Beisel Kicks Off Postgrad Career With Speedo Sponsorship
The two-time Olympian joins an already impressive list of elite athletes wearing the Speedo brand.
GAINESVILLE, Florida, June 17. TWO-TIME Olympian Elizabeth Beisel, just three months into a new chapter of her swimming career as a postgraduate athlete, announced today that she’s officially a Speedo athlete.
Since her early years as a 14-year-old on the 2007 world championship team, Beisel has rarely, if ever, worn anything but Speedo swimwear. That includes when she qualified for the 2008 Olympics, won the 2011 world title in the 200 IM and captured two medals at the 2012 Olympics. It’s not known how long Beisel will be an official Speedo athlete, but given that she has publicly said she plans to swim beyond the 2016 Olympics, the relationship is likely to be a long-lasting one.
Beyond the accolades mentioned above, Beisel was a key player in the college scene. She won the NCAA title in the 200 backstroke in 2012 and the 400 IM in 2013, in addition to numerous championship final finishes. Her success came mostly in international competition, where she was a top-five finisher in the 400 IM at every major international meet from 2008 forward.
Beisel’s 400 IM international placings:
2008 Olympics: Fourth (4:34.24)
2009 world championships: Fifth (4:34.90)
2010 Pan Pacific championships: Gold medal (4:34.69)
2011 world championships: Gold medal (4:31.78)
2012 Olympics: Silver medal (4:31.27)
2013 world championships: Bronze (4:31.69)
Below, the press release from Speedo USA:
SPEEDO USA, a division of PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH), today announced that 21-year-old Olympic medalist and college swim star Elizabeth Beisel has signed a multi-year agreement with the company through 2017. An extremely versatile swimmer and dominant force in the Individual Medley and Backstroke events, Beisel has worn Speedo throughout her swim career and joins Team Speedo with her sights set on making her third Olympic team in Rio.
Beisel made her Olympic debut at the 2008 Games in Beijing. As the youngest member of the U.S. swim team, the then 15-year-old narrowly missed medaling in the 400m IM and 200m Backstroke. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Beisel cemented her position on the world stage, taking home silver in the 400m IM (4:31.27) and bronze in the 200m Backstroke (2:06.18), setting new personal bests in both events.
“Speedo products are the industry leaders for all things swimming,” said Beisel. “I couldn’t ask for a better partner than SPEEDO USA as I begin my professional career. I’m very excited to be part of the Speedo family.”
The University of Florida senior caps her collegiate swim career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in Gator history, with two NCAA Championships (400m IM in 2013 and 200m Backstroke in 2012), nine SEC titles and 18 All-American honors. Out of the pool, the telecommunications major is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member and was selected as a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient for the winter sports season for the 2013-14 academic year. A Rhode Island native, Beisel will continue to train in Gainesville, Fla. under Gators Head Coach and long-time Speedo Advisory Coach Gregg Troy.
“SPEEDO is proud to announce our relationship with Elizabeth,” said Jim Gerson, President of SPEEDO USA. “She has already accomplished so much in the sport at such a young age, and we know she has a very bright future ahead of her. We are very happy to welcome her to Team Speedo and look forward to supporting her in this next stage of her career.”
A member of U.S. National Team since age 13, Beisel made the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships team after finishing second in the 200m Backstroke at that year’s U.S. National Championships. Her first individual international medal came at the 2009 FINA World Championships, with a bronze medal finish in the 200m Backstroke in Rome; her first world title followed in 2011, winning gold in the 400m IM at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai. Domestically, Beisel is a six-time U.S. National Champion with three 200m Backstroke national titles (2009 – 2011), two 400m IM national titles (2009, 2011) and one 200m IM national title (2011).
As part of Team Speedo, Beisel will be part of an athlete advisory group to the SPEEDO Aqualab, the brand’s research and development center, and will train and compete in Speedo suits, accessories and related gear.
Beisel’s fellow Team Speedo swimmers include: Natalie Coughlin (USA), Ryan Lochte (USA), Conor Dwyer (USA), Nathan Adrian (USA), Cullen Jones (USA), Jessica Hardy (USA), Tyler Clary (USA), Ryan Cochrane (CAN), Christian Sprenger (AUS), Alicia Coutts (AUS), Florent Manaudou (FRA), Mireia Belmonte (ESP), Thiago Pereira (BRA), Michael Jamieson (GBR), Melanie Costa Schmid (ESP), Alia Atkinson (JAM), Jiao Liuyang (CHN), and more.
Speedo is a registered trademark of and used under license from Speedo International Ltd. Warnaco Swimwear, Inc., a subsidiary of PVH that does business as Speedo USA, holds the exclusive license from Speedo International Ltd in North America and the Caribbean.