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Phelps Re-inks deal with Speedo

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US Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has extended his sponsorship deal with swimwear manufacturer Speedo, seven months after a newspaper published a photo of him inhaling from a pipe used for smoking marijuana.
Reuters reports that Speedo officials said the new four-year deal was the biggest in the company’s 80-year history.
“We have a shared vision to grow the sport of swimming,” said Speedo’s senior vice president of marketing, Craig Brommers. “In the worst economy of our generation, the Speedo performance category is actually stronger than ever and that’s attributed to the Michael Phelps factor.”

Brommers said USA Swimming research had shown there had been an 11 per cent increase in swimming participation in the US in the past year.

After the February photo scandal, food maker Kellogg let its deal with Phelps expire but other sponsors stood by him. Phelps’ other sponsors include watch maker Omega, video-game publisher 505 Games, Hilton Hotels, PureSport, Subway, Visa, Mazda Motor in China and H2O Audio.

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