The Velaasa team is thrilled to announce a partnership with reigning world champion shot putter Joe Kovacs as he defends his IAAF World Title in London August 5th and 6th.
For Joe, the new sponsorship agreement (the first for our young company) marks the beginning of a new chapter as we prepare to introduce our first Olympic-lifting shoe, the Strake, with a free sign-up to pre-purchase starting today, Aug. 3 and running through the conclusion of the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in London on Aug. 13.
I speak from my heart, and on behalf of our team, when I say that we’re thrilled to have Joe on board. Together, we’ll begin to pave the way for a new kind of athletic sponsorship agreement that benefits the sport at all levels. A core value of our company is to find ways to help track and field thrive, and having Joe join our team opens the door to do just that.
We know Joe is excited to play a vital role in our footwear and equipment design process. When we sat down to chat with Joe about some of the reasons why he decided to sign with Velaasa (look for our complete Q+A with him on this blog later), we couldn’t help but identify with him.
“I’m a short guy,” he told us. “I’m the guy that probably shouldn’t be throwing as far as I am. I need speed and velocity. And for that I need the right shoe. We’re going to make a throwing shoe that won’t only look good, but functionally will really work.”
If you follow track and field, then you know Joe. He attended and threw shot put for Penn State from 2007-2011 where he won a Big Ten Championship and placed fourth at the NCAA Division I Championship his senior year. After he graduated, he went on to place 4th in the 2012 Olympic Trials. By 2015 Joe was the IAAF World Champion, and in Rio, he reached the podium earning an Olympic Silver Medal.
To celebrate Joe’s trip to London we are launching a special free discount sign-up ahead of the fall pre-sale of our flagship shoe, the Strake. The first 100 people to sign up will get 20% off our pre-order event later this fall. Even more, we are launching a pre-order for our new Velaasa track throwing shoes, weightlifting shoes, and equipment and apparel. As always, we have what you need from Polanik, Nishi and Richey Athletics.
Take advantage of the deals while they last, and watch Joe fight to defend his IAAF world title on August 5th (prelim round) and August 6th (final).