Hemmings ATLANTA Olympics 400 metres hurdles champion Deon Hemmings and 2000 national 100 metres champion Peta Gaye Dowdie have joined the team of athletes representing the Puma International brand.
Puma International are the official equipment providers for the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) and the Jamaican Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) until 2008.
"We are looking forward to these collaborations as they strength our link to Jamaican athletics," Pascal Rolling, International marketing manager for Puma, said in a release.
Hemmings is the only female Jamaican Olympic champion and she is still ranked fourth in the world over 400m hurdles by Track and Field News magazine in their 2002 rankings.
"Deon will not only be a great support for Puma International through her performances but we are looking forward to seeing her more involved working with the young talent in Jamaica sharing her experience with them. Our philosophy in our collaboration with the JAAA is to be a partner from the elite athletes representing the country at the Olympics to the young high school runners competing at a local development meeting and Hemmings will represent the perfect link between them," Rolling said.
Dowdie, a medallist at the World Championships at both junior and senior levels, has seen her progress halted by injuries but with that now behind her a bright future awaits the two-time national 100m champion.
She will commence her build up to the 2003 major internationals with a series of indoor sprints beginning at the end of January in Germany.
Juliet Campbell, the 2001 world indoor champion and three time Olympian is already working as a consultant for Puma International. Juliet Cuthbert, 1992 Olympic 100m and 200m silver medallist, is working as communication manager for Puma's exclusive distributor in Jamaica, Western Sport.
Hemmings and Dowdie are joining the following Jamaican athletes in the Puma team: Campbell, Lacena Golding, Lorraine Fenton, Madrea Hyman, Delloreen Ennis London, Debbie Parris, Davian Clarke, Dinsdale Morgan and Ricardo Williams.
