Arena and Paul Biedermann together until 2011

Tolentino, April 2nd 2009 – Arena, the leading-edge company at world-wide level in the sports waterwear market, announces the renewal of its technical partnership with one of the most talented, international middle-distance swimmers, the German Paul Biedermann.

Paul Biedermann, 22, has definitely performed an outstanding 2008, demonstrating to be one of the absolute top swimmers at world-wide level over 200 and 400m freestyle. After becoming European Champion in 400m freestyle in March (Eindhoven), in November he broke the 200m freestyle short course world record, with a time of 1'40''83, at the Berlin stage of the FINA - Arena World Cup, thus improving by 27 hundredths the previous record held for over 8 years by Ian Thorpe.

 Within just a few weeks, during the national short course championships in Essen, the young German champion set two new exciting European records, with times of 3:34.98 in the 200m freestyle and 7:35.23 in the 800m freestyle. Biedermann has definitely shown an impressive consistency in his performance in short course races during the last years, having obtained excellent results at the last three European Championships: bronze in the 400 free at Trieste (2006), silver in the 200m and the 400m free at Debrecen (2007) and gold in the 400m free at Rijeka (2008). 

The new contract between the three-diamond company and Biedermann represents the confirmation of a very solid relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, that has lasted since the first emergence of the young German champion who, in the next two years, will have the chance to represent world class excellence by swimming in the Arena Elite Team, alongside champions like Alain Bernard, Cesar Cielo, Milorad Cavic, Laszlo Cseh, Alexander Dale Oen, Yurj Prilukov and Massimiliano Rosolino.

“The renewal of our partnership with an extraordinary athlete like Biedermann – states Christiane Nothelfer, General Manager of Arena Germany – which also confirms the great value of our talent scouting policies, represents a further step of the strong, long term relationship between Arena and German swimming. Paul Biedermann has the sporting and personal attributes to become a good ambassador for Arena in the world, therefore prolonging a tradition of excellence that has already seen swimmers of the calibre of Franziska van Almsick.”

“I am extremely happy to continue my collaboration with Arena – declared Paul Biedermann – a reliable technical partner, with whose technical equipment I have always felt confident in every competition and with which I have achieved all my best results. I obtained very important goals in 2008, now all my focus and efforts are addressed towards the World Championships in Rome, where I hope to be able to reach the results I wish and expect.”

Paul Biedermann is training heavily for the 2009 World Championships in Rome, which are to be held next July. At the end of April he leaves for Sierra Nevada, where he will attend a high-altitude training Camp with his club (SV Halle/Saale). From June 24 to 28 he will compete in the German National Championships that are valid for qualification to the World Championships.

In the Arena Elite Team, alongside Paul Biedermann we find the French Olympic Champion of the 100m free style, Alain Bernard (26), who also achieved a silver medal in the 4x100m relay and a bronze medal in the 50m free at Beijing Olympics, the Brazilian Cesar Cielo (22), Olympic Champion in 50m free at Beijing and bronze medalist in the 100m free, the Hungarian Laszlo Cseh (24), three bronze medals at Beijing (200, 400 medley and 200 fly) and European record-holder for all three disciplines, the Serbian Milorad Cavic (25), Olympic silver medal and European record-holder in the 100m fly, the Norwegian Alexander Dale Oen (23), silver medal in Beijing and European record-holder in the 100 breast, the South Africans Roland Schoeman, Olympic Champion in 4x100m Relay at Olympic Games in Athens (2004), two times gold medal in 50m Fly at the World Championships in Montreal (2005) and in Melbourne (2007) , Cameron Van Der Burgh, world record holder in the 50m (25.94) and 100m (56.88) breaststroke (short-course) and Suzaan Van Biljon (21), World Champion in 200 breast in Manchester 2008 (Short Course), the Russian Yuri Prilukov (25), the fourth times European Champion in 1500 freestyle, the Italian Massimiliano Rosolino (30), who has already achieved in his career the significant goal of 60 medals in international competitions, and last but not least, the Polish Champion Pavel Korzeniowski (24), gold medal in the 200 fly and World Championship gold in Montreal (2005), Mateusz Sawrymowicz (22), gold medal in 1500 m freestyle at the Melbourne World Championships (2007), Otylia Jedrzejczak (26), Olympic gold in Athens 2004 in the 200 fly and World Championship gold at Montreal in the same discipline.

Moreover Arena is title sponsor of the FINA-ARENA Swimming World Cup, the historical partner of LEN (Ligue Européenne de Natation) and is the technical sponsor and official supplier of many high-profile Federations at world-wide level, such as Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Croatia, Norway, South Africa, New Zealand, Romania, Czech Republic, Belarus, Lithuania and Estonia.