Lacoste signs on three Olympic athletes as new brand ambassadors

French fashion label Lacoste has signed on three Olympic athletes as its new brand ambassadors: water polo player Ashleigh Johnson from the USA, shooter Ruth Mwandumba from UK and German gymnast Marcel Nguyen.

They are now Lacoste ambassadors and have signed a partnership with the brand that will last until 2025. Lacoste thus reaffirms its links with the Olympic Games and the Paralympics.

“The new ‘Crocodiles’, with different backgrounds and origins, all have in common that elegance of style and spirit which they apply both in their sports and outside their chosen fields. The daring tenacity that pushes them to innovate and change their game is also a common denominator that they share with all the other sporting and cultural ‘Crocodiles’ of the brand,” commented Lacoste in a press release.

Ashleigh Johnson, water polo

The 28-year-old Johnson is considered by many to be the best water polo goalkeeper in the world. She is a three-time world champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020) who is aiming to win her third consecutive title in Paris 2024.

“Whether in or out of the pool, she is a committed player who likes to change the narrative and challenge the stereotypes associated with water polo,” said Lacoste.

“I’m excited and honoured to partner with Lacoste. As I train for the upcoming Paris Olympics, teaming up with a global, iconic brand with French roots couldn’t be more perfect. I love the style and audacity of Lacoste, and I look forward to reaching new heights with them by my side,” stated Johnson.

Ruth Mwandumba, shooting

The 25-year-old British Ruth Mwandumba is the best female shooter in the country and, like Johnson, is investing in her sport to change the way women are viewed in it.

“As much as I enjoy winning medals, there is a lot more to my athlete journey than that. A huge part of my ‘personal brand’ is centred around increasing diversity and inclusion within sports in which there aren’t many underrepresented groups of people. Therefore, it means so much to me to be partnering with a brand that understands my values and vision, and who are rooting for my success both on the range and off,” said Mwandumba.

Marcel Nguyen, gymnastics

The 35-year-old German gymnast Marcel Nguyen became Olympic silver medallist in the all-around and on parallel bars in 2012 and introduced a new movement in an official competition four years later in Rio.

“This inventiveness has earned him a permanent association with the parallel bars that bear his name. A beautiful mark of his passage in world gymnastics which will be transmitted to future generations of gymnasts,” said Lacoste.

“The partnership with Lacoste is a great honour for me. I’ve always been a big fan of the brand. I’m really looking forward to working together and I hope to inspire many more people to love Lacoste,” stated Nguyen.

In March of 2022, Lacoste had announced tennis star Venus Williams as its global brand ambassador and teamed up a month later with quadri-amputee swimmer Théo Curin to create the very first collection bearing the name of a handisport athlete, intended for both people with and without disabilities.