ROKA Sports Inc continues to build its roster of elite triathletes with two more high profile sponsorship deals. ROKA has today confirmed that it has signed:
- A multi-year partnership with 3x ITU World Champion, XTERRA Off-Road World Champion and 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist Javier Gómez; and
- A multi-year partnership with US professional triathlete and 2012 Olympian Gwen Jorgensen.
(The addition of Javier Gómez and Gwen Jorgensen as a sponsored athletes comes hot on the heels of recent key sponsorship deals with Ironman pro triathlete Rachel Joyce, Ironman 70.3 World Champ Melissa Hauschildt and 2 x ITU World Champion Emma Moffatt.)
Javier Gómez
“I am very excited about being part of the ROKA team.” Gómez said. “The first day I swam in ROKA’s Maverick Pro Wetsuit and Viper Pro Swimskin, I knew that they were the fastest and most comfortable I had ever worn. Looking forward to the years ahead, I am very motivated and incredibly excited to have formed a long-term partnership with ROKA.”
ROKA CEO & Co-Founder Rob Canales said, “We’re honoured to work with Javi. He’s a once in a generation athlete. Despite his accomplishments, Javi has huge goals, including more ITU World Titles, the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, the 2016 Olympics, and beyond.
“Our goal is to elevate Javi’s performance even further, and we’re confident we can deliver. Off the course, Javi is a great person who is widely respected among his peers. We know he’ll be a fantastic ambassador for ROKA.”
ROKA Co-Founder Kurt Spenser added, “We focus on designing performance not just products. Javi connected immediately with this philosophy, and there is no doubt that his requirements represent the bleeding edge of triathlon. Inspiration is at the heart of our innovation, and to say we are inspired to work with Javi is an understatement.”
Javier Gómez hails from Pontevedra, Spain and is one of the most accomplished and versatile triathletes of all time. Gómez will wear ROKA’s Maverick Pro Wetsuit, Viper Pro Swimskin, SIM Pro training shorts, ROKA’s upcoming ITU and non-ITU race apparel and other racing and training products in development.
Gómez was recently named 2013 Endurance Live Male Triathlete of the Year. He will kick-off the 2014 season at Ironman 70.3 Panama on 15 February.
Gwen Jorgensen
“With all of my focus now on the 2016 Olympics, I was looking for a swim partner that was willing to grow and innovate with me over the next few years,” said Jorgensen. “ROKA is doing that and in the process, I believe, helping to evolve the sport of ITU racing. ROKA currently has a phenomenal line of wetsuits and we are working together to create suits that will cater to my body and the demands of ITU racing.”
ROKA CEO and Co-Founder Rob Canales said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Gwen to ROKA. Gwen represents a new era in women’s triathlon in the United States, and we couldn’t be more excited to support her and that movement. Gwen is a meticulous athlete and a consummate professional who is constantly looking for ways to improve.
“No one can doubt Gwen’s talent, but what’s impressed us most is her dedication to the process of improvement in every facet of her life. We can’t wait to work with her.”
ROKA Co-Founder Kurt Spenser added, “Gwen’s approach resonates strongly with our team and inspires our innovation. She’s dedicated every minute of her life to becoming the best athlete and person that she can be; there couldn’t be a better fit. We look forward to working with Gwen in the years to come.”
Gwen Jorgensen is from Waukesha, Wisconsin; but now calls St Paul, Minnesota home. She divides time between Australia, the Basque Country, Spain, and the USA under revered New Zealander Jamie Turner, Triathlon Canada’s National High Performance Coach.
Gwen is a 2012 Olympian who became the first American woman in ITU World Triathlon Series history to win a race (San Diego, 2013) en route to earning three total WTS victories during the 2013 season. Gwen was recognized by Inside Triathlon as one of the ‘10 Most Influential People in Triathlon’, and she is represented by Heather Novickis, Director of Endurance Sports, at Octagon.
Jorgensen will wear ROKA’s Maverick Pro Wetsuit, Viper Pro Speed Suit, SIM Pro Shorts and other racing and training products in development.
ROKA is a performance multisport brand that was founded in 2011 by two former All-American swimmers from Stanford University, who, after being frustrated by the wetsuit offerings on the market, set out to make ‘the fastest wetsuit on the planet’. After two years of product development, the ROKA team launched their patent-pending Maverick wetsuit, Viper swimskin and SIM short training line in March 2013.
In its first season, ROKA products saw widespread acceptance by elite and developing swimmers alike, and ROKA pro athletes finished first out of the water at the Ironman World Championship, the ITU WTS Grand Final, the Hy-Vee 5150 Elite Cup Championship, several Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races, and more.
ROKA is based in Dallas, Texas with employees in California and Colorado.
