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Thursday, September 7
Kuerten happy after problem addressed
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Gustavo Kuerten will join Brazil's
Olympic team after sponsors compromised on a dispute that nearly
kept him out of the Sydney Games.
"Everything is resolved," Kuerten said Thursday.
|  | | Gustavo Kuerten doesn't know what his uniform will look like at the Games, but he did get his sponsors to agree with Brazil's Olympic sponsors so he can play. |
Kuerten's personal sponsor, Italy's Diadora, and the Brazilian
Olympic Committee have agreed that Kuerten's Olympic uniform will
not display any trademarks, unless he wins a medal, in which case,
he would wear a uniform provided by the team's official sponsor,
sportswear manufacturer Olympikus.
Earlier this week, the Committee announced Kuerten, No. 2 in the
ATP Tour ranking, was off the team because the two sponsors could
not agree on which trademark he would wear at the games.
Negotiations had reportedly broken down after Diadora agreed to
let Kuerten play in another uniform, but refused to let him display
the Olympikus trademark.
Although Brazil's soccer team and track athletes are allowed to
wear uniforms from other sponsors, the Olympic Committee refused to
make the same allowance for Kuerten, claiming he spoke up too late
about his plan to wear a uniform from his own sponsor.
Kuerten said he was very happy with the compromise and plans to
leave for Sydney on Friday.
"I think it was the power of the people that put me in the
Olympics," he said.
As for the uniform, Kuerton said, "If I have to play without a
shirt with my chest painted green and yellow, I'm up for it."
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