DICK'S SPORTING GOODS, INC. PITTSBURGH, Jan. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), the official sporting goods retail sponsor of Team USA, announced today its official roster of athletes from its Contenders program who have successfully qualified for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
In total, 11 participants in the Company's Contenders program, which supports U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls with flexible job scheduling and a highly competitive wage, have qualified for Team USA thus far. More than 30% of the 36 Team USA Olympic winter hopefuls participating in DICK'S Contenders program will be competing in the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.
Additionally, five of the seven U.S. Paralympic athletes who are part of the Company's Contenders employment program are still competing to earn a spot on Team USA.
"We're proud to be a leading employer of Team USA athletes, supporting hundreds of hopefuls during all phases of their Olympic and Paralympic journeys," said Lauren Hobart, President, DICK'S Sporting Goods. "The fact that such a large number of our employees qualified for Team USA gives us confidence that our Contenders program is successful in giving these inspiring athletes the extra support they need to help achieve their dreams. We look forward to watching their incredible accomplishments continue in PyeongChang."
DICK'S announced the multi-faceted Team USA partnership in 2015, which includes the in-store employment program, sporting goods and equipment donations to the U.S. Olympic Training Centers and sponsorships to Team USA hopefuls to help them pursue their Olympic and Paralympic dreams. Since inception, more than 250 Team USA hopefuls have been employed by DICK'S.
"The Contenders program from DICK'S Sporting Goods makes a real difference for Team USA, offering flexible employment for athletes as they train for the chance to compete at the Olympic or Paralympic Winter Games," said Lisa Baird, USOC CMO. "Fans of Team USA all over the country are looking forward to cheering these amazing athletes on in PyeongChang."
The roster of DICK'S Sporting Goods Contenders who have qualified for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games includes:
- Alex Rigsby, Ice Hockey – Competing in her first Olympic Winter Games as a goalie for Team USA Women's Hockey. Before enrolling at the University of Wisconsin and playing on their women's hockey team, Alex played on men's teams from the age of five through high school.
- Carlijn Schoutens, Long Track Speedskating – A dual citizen of the United States and Netherlands, Carlijn Schoutens is a short-track speedskater competing in the Olympic Winter Games for the first time. Off the ice, Carlijn is enrolled in school at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to become a doctor.
- John Shuster, Curling – A 2006 Olympic Bronze medalist, John Shuster is competing in his fourth Olympic Winter Games for Team USA as the skip of his curling team. He credits his employment at DICK'S with assisting him with family expenses.
- Jessika Jenson, Snowboard – Coming off a 13th place finish in the 2014 Games in Sochi, Jessika is hoping to win her first Olympic medal in PyeongChang. In addition to her work in the Contenders program, Jessika sells her own line of neck warmers to support her Olympic journey.
FULL ROSTER | ||||
First Name | Last Name | Sport | Hometown | Store Location |
Hakeem | Abdul-Saboor | Bobsled | Powhatan, VA | Burlington, VT |
Cory | Christensen | Curling | Duluth, MN | Minnetonka, MN |
Kimani | Griffin | Speedskating | Winston Salem, NC | Midvale, UT |
Rebecca Lynn | Hamilton | Curling | McFarland, WI | East Madison, WI |
Jessika | Jenson | Snowboard | Rigby, ID | Pocatello, ID |
Briauna | Jones | Bobsled* | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte, NC |
Alex | Rigsby | Ice Hockey | Delafield, WI | West Madison, WI |
Carlijn | Schoutens | Speedskating | Heemstede, Netherlands | Midvale, UT |
John | Shuster | Curling | Chisholm, MN | Duluth, MN |
Jerica | Tandiman | Speedskating | Kearns, UT | Midvale, UT |
Aaron | Tran | Short Track Speedskating | Seattle, WA | Midvale, UT |
*Alternate | ||||
Details on the DICK'S Sporting Goods Contenders who have qualified to make the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games will follow at a later date once the U.S. Paralympic Team roster is officially announced.
For more information on the DICK'S Sporting Goods Contenders program, visit dicks.com/TheContenders.
About DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.
Founded in 1948, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc. is a leading omni-channel sporting goods retailer offering an extensive assortment of authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. As of October 28, 2017, the Company operated more than 715 DICK'S Sporting Goods locations, serving and inspiring athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to achieve their personal best through a blend of dedicated associates, in-store services and unique specialty shop-in-shops. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, DICK'S also owns and operates Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream specialty stores, as well as DICK'S Team Sports HQ, an all-in-one youth sports digital platform offering free league management services, mobile apps for communications and live scorekeeping, custom uniforms and FanWear and access to donations and sponsorships. For more information, visit the Press Room or Investor Relations pages at dicks.com.
Contact DICK'S Sporting Goods: press@dcsg.com
View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dicks-sporting-goods-celebrates-employee-roster-of-11-team-usa-winter-olympians-300589099.html
SOURCE DICK'S Sporting Goods
