{"id":1841,"date":"2020-02-09T10:33:26","date_gmt":"2020-02-08T23:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=167841"},"modified":"2020-12-30T12:42:19","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T12:42:19","slug":"nike-unveil-2020-tokyo-olympic-uniforms-new-york-city","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/nike-unveil-2020-tokyo-olympic-uniforms-new-york-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Ahead of the Olympics in Tokyo, Nike Lights The Unofficial Torch For New York Fashion Week In Super-Sized Spectacle"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Supplied: Nike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NEW YORK CITY: \u201cYou\u2019re from Australia? How\u2019s it all going down there?\u201d pioneering marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson asks me post Nike\u2019s mega-show at The Shed on West 30th<\/sup> on Wednesday night. \u201cI\u2019ve heard about all the animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those unfamiliar with Benoit Samuelson, the 62-year-oId American was the first-ever women\u2019s Olympic Games marathon champion after winning gold at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She held a 32-year record for being the fastest American woman to finish the Chicago marathon since winning the race in 1985. Just last year, Benoit Samuelson ran the Boston marathon within 30 minutes of her 1979 time, a result she attributes to Nike\u2019s improving technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had Nike footwear since the inception of my career but their progress and innovation since that time has been amazing to watch,\u201d she says. \u201cThe fact that I\u2019m still able to enjoy it and see what a difference there\u2019s been since the early days is an incredible gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 05: Joan Benoit Samuelson walks the runway during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic collection fashion show at The Shed on February 05, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While I\u2019d spent many hours watching back Benoit Samuelson\u2019s unbelievable finish-line milestones earlier that day, I didn\u2019t anticipate the line of questioning to fall on Australia\u2019s calamitous bushfires. But it does make sense. As the globe is warming up, the future of sport is being seriously threatened as athletes are unable to train outdoors in the scorching heat. The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo are set to be the hottest on record and for Nike, they are tackling climate change with an athlete\u2019s mindset through commitment and team work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s at stake isn\u2019t just records, but the future of sport itself,\u201d says NIKE President and CEO John Donahoe. \u201cIn Tokyo, we\u2019ll help the world\u2019s best reach new levels of performance with our revolutionary platform, while sharing real solutions for the barriers all athletes face under rapidly changing climate conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a sentiment Seana Hannah, Nike\u2019s Vice President of Sustainable Innovation, goes into detail about later on.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to always make Nike athletes better. But also make the world better for athletes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a big company and we have a big responsibility to do everything we can to combat climate change,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019re hearing from our athletes that it affects their practices and competitions. If the air quality is not good, they can\u2019t take a run outside and the heat is getting more extreme. For the Tokyo Olympics, they are moving the marathon 500 miles [804 kilometers] north because they are so worried about the heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can create products that will help athletes on a daily basis to keep them cool and dry but really where Nike can have its biggest impact is by reducing our carbon footprint,\u201d Hannah continues.<\/p>\n