Posted: February 24, 2005

Athletics: ASICS Inks New Deal With Deena Kastor

IRVINE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/23/2005 -- ASICS has re-signed Olympic Bronze Medalist Deena Kastor to a multi-year extension that will insure America's top distance runner will be wearing the world famous Tiger Stripes through the 2008 Games in China.

Kastor has established herself as one of the top distance runners in the world, having won the marathon bronze medal in Athens this past summer, as well as two silver medals at the 2002 and 2003 World Cross Country Championships. In 2003, she broke the longstanding American Record in the marathon, placing third at the London Marathon in 2:21:16.

Since signing with ASICS in January of 2001, Kastor has won an unmatched 11 USATF Championships, two IAAF World Cross Country Championships silver medals, one Olympic bronze medal, and established five American Records and one World Record.

ASICS, with more than 50 years of footwear manufacturing experience, offers a full line of performance-driven athletic shoes, technical active sports apparel and accessories. ASICS® shoe line includes cutting-edge, technical footwear for running, racing, track and field, fitness walking, training, court, wrestling and volleyball. ASICS apparel line utilizes the latest in technical fabrications and design and includes styles for running, walking, training, and teams. ASICS also offers a wide variety of sport accessories, including athletic bags, hydration systems, hats, socks and kneepads, as well as causal apparel and footwear from the SportStyle and Onitsuka Tiger® lines.

ASICS and Onitsuka Tiger are registered trademarks of ASICS Corporation (Japan) www.asicsamerica.com.