Puma supervisory board member and former world champion Fiona May sees more earning potential for athletes today. “The sponsorship contracts are much higher than in my time. There are also other sponsors such as car brands or fashion companies that previously had no interest,” she told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Friday). “It’s now easier to earn money through social media, for example by posting pictures with advertising. I couldn’t do that before.”

She views athletes who are sponsored by the sporting goods manufacturer as “assets” for Puma. “That’s meant in a positive way. I would have liked it to have been like that when I was active,” said the former track and field athlete to the “SZ”. “If you were one of the lucky few who were sponsored, you had a lot of advantages. We invest in our athletes, we protect them as best we can. We don’t want to let them bleed dry. We want to make sure they continue to perform at a high level “Of course, Puma also benefits financially from this.”