In 2021, Christina Clemons DAA Industry Opt Out Olympic Track & Field Trials drop earrings. Track fans loved the statement piece, and more importantly, the hurdler earned the snack company’s attention, securing a sponsorship after earning bronze at the Trials.
At this year’s Olympic Trials, Clemons sported a memorable look once again, a blue one-piece speedsuit bearing the Doritos logo. Due to U.S. Olympic Committee uniform rules, fans couldn’t actually see the emblem. She was allowed to wear the kit the first day of competition but was then told that she’d have to tape over it for the 100-meter hurdles final.
Undeterred, Clemons improvised and came up with a clever and fashionable solution—three hours before her race, she cut a few nacho-shaped pieces out of some iron-on vinyl and covered up the logo with panache.
“One thing about me: I’m always ready for whatever,” Clemons wrote on Instagram. “If anything has to be covered on ME, it’s going to be done my way.”
The 34-year-old didn’t make Team USA this time, placing seventh in the finals with a time of 12.61, but the new-ish mom Other Hearst Subscriptions.
In a post-race interview with LetsRun, Clemons shared more details about her unconventional sponsorship, notably implying that Doritos pays more than she earned with Adidas, her previous shoe sponsor. “It’s better,” she said, “because the value is different.”
“I just feel like these shoe companies don’t value athletes,” she continued. “Not all of them,” she clarified, but in the meantime, she sees it as a big step in the right direction for non-athletic companies to back athletes the way Doritos has supported Cool Ranch Clemons.
“I reached back out this year because I’m no longer with Adidas,” she said, “And they jumped on it immediately. So it’s been cool and really fun because they’ve been very, very supportive.”
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Track Stars Get Creative with Fashion, Results: 2024 Olympic Track and Field Trials, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
