In recent weeks, the surge in attention toward women’s sports has been electrifying. The groundbreaking 2024 NCAA Women’s National Championship game shattered glass ceilings and TV records and led to broader recognition of athletes like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. It feels like women in sports are finally get the recognition—if not the pay—they deserve, and it’s just the beginning.
Building on this momentum, Nike unveiled its ambitious plans to celebrate the future of sports at the Paris 2024 Olympics with an event that brought together luminaries like Serena Williams, Sha’Carri Richardson, Tatyana McFadden, Jordan Chiles, and Dawn Staley. These women dominate both on and off the field; and with them setting the standard, it makes us eager to witness what next generation of leaders will emerge from the Paris Olympics in three months’ time.
But for Tanya Hvizdak, Nike’s VP of Global Women’s Sports Marketing, the way forward begins with a simple question to all athletes: “What do you need from us?”
“Serving athletes means more than just providing products; it’s about comprehensive support,” she says. “Now, they trust us. ‘Can you help me with my mental wellness?’ ‘Can you assist with motherhood?’ Families are leaning on us. We’re becoming their trusted partner in all dimensions of their lives.”
Another way Nike serves its athletes? Through innovation. The event in Paris showcased this by unveiling the brand’s reinvention of the iconic Nike Air sneakers. The new iteration, a forthcoming Pegasus Premium model, was made for the 2024 Olympic athletes and is set to launch for consumers in 2025.
At the Palais Brongniart in Paris, Nike contextualized just how much innovation and historical impact the sneaker has had since its 1978 debut by celebrating the past, present, and future of Nike Air in a curated immersion center with four distinct rooms. The first—Nike’s Air Genealogy—delved into the rich history of Air’s technology. Next was the the Air Culture room, which showcased how Nike infuses culture into its Air products. In the Air Reinvention room, visitors witnessed the groundbreaking advancements that were done for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Finally, the pièce de résistance awaited in the Future of Air room, where Nike showcased upcoming Air products.
