Arena and the Croatian Swimming Federation

Tolentino, March 27^th 2009 – Arena, the leading-edge company at world-wide level in the sports waterwear market, has signed a sponsorship agreement that will give birth to a four-year partnership with the Croatian Swimming Federation.

The renowned “brand with the three-diamond” will be technical sponsor and official supplier of the Croatian Swimming Team for the whole Olympic cycle 2009-2012.

The Croatian Federation boasts a long tradition of success at the most important swimming competitions all over the world. Since 1968, when Durdica Bjedov won gold and silver at the Mexico City Olympics in the 100 and 200 breast, Croatian national team has always confirmed its high profile and overall competitiveness. This is fully confirmed by the remarkable number of over 200 medals achieved in the last 20 years at top international meetings by swimmers such as the butterfly specialist Miloš Milošević (1972) and the backstrokers Gordan Kožulj (1976) and Marko Strahija (1975).

In the last few years, Croatian swimming has generated two world-class champions such as Duje Draganja (1983) and Sanja Jovanovic (1986). At the age of 21 Duje Draganja won a silver medal in the 50m free style at the Athens Olympics (2004). His great talent was then confirmed with another silver at the World Championships in Montreal (2005), a gold at the World Short Course Championships in Shanghai (2006) and another gold at the World Short Course Championships in Manchester (2008), always in the same discipline.

In Manchester, the backstroker Sanja Jovanović became World Champion in the 50m backstroke Short-Course, setting a world record which was even improved at the next European Championships Short-Course of Rijeka, where she clocked an outstanding 26.23, confirming the European Champion title in this race, which she had achieved back in Debrecen 2007.

“We are really proud of this agreement – stated Alessandro Carpignano, General Manager for the Italian market and for the International Business – which sets the ground for a successful partnership with a prestigious, competitive and very committed Federation that has demonstrated to be able to select and to develop world-wide talents. The quality of the job performed by the Federation is further demonstrated by the consistency in the results and the growing competitiveness of its swimmers, which allowed to qualify to last Beijing Olympics the largest ever Croatian representation in its whole history: 15 athletes”.

“The agreement signed with Arena, a brand that has always stood for the passion and the commitment in supporting watersports, is really good news for our National Team – said Goran Pavic, the President of the Croatian Swimming Federation. We will have the chance to exploit a technical equipment of the highest quality and the utmost competitiveness, and we will be supported by a team of very competent and professional people who will enable our Federation to even strengthen our pillars for the development of swimming in Croatia”.

Arena, since the beginning of its history has always devoted a significant amount of passion, energy and resources to the support of the swimming competitions all over the world.

For this reason, today 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 Russia, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Norway, South Africa, New Zealand, Romania, Czech Republic, Belarus, Lithuania and Estonia.

Within the same strategic framework Arena is also the Technical sponsor of its Elite Team of International champions, such as 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.