LOS ANGELES (May 14, 2024) - Eli Lilly and Company is now an official partner of Making Team USA presented by Xfinity, a first-of-its-kind marketing and sponsorship platform to spotlight athletes and invite fans to connect with Team USA on the journey to qualifying for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. With the partnership, Lilly is also the presenting sponsor for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming in its hometown of Indianapolis June 15-23, 2024, further expanding the company’s support of Team USA.
“The pathway to making Team USA provides not only world-class competition in the form of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials, but also the opportunity to celebrate all of the incredible Team USA athletes who are following their dreams of representing the United States at the Paris Games,” said Katie Bynum Aznavorian, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. “This expanded partnership with Lilly commemorates both the commitment and the celebration, and we are thrilled to work together with them to share and elevate these great Team USA moments – on and off the field of play – with fans in Indianapolis and around the country.”
As an official partner of Making Team USA presented by Xfinity, Lilly joins the platform which offers unprecedented access to the Olympic and Paralympic journey. Launched earlier this year, Making Team USA presented by Xfinity tells the stories of the athlete qualification, inclusive of all sports and athletes through live events and competitions, including NBCUniversal’s Trials’ coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and other digital experiences to allow fans to connect with Team USA athletes more deeply. As the presenting sponsor of U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, Lilly will be featured across NBCU platforms during the trials, which will be held in an NFL Stadium for the first time in history. Over 250,000 spectators are expected to attend the nine-day event.
“During next month’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, Lilly looks forward to welcoming elite athletes and fans to Indianapolis where our company was founded nearly 150 years ago,” said Jennifer Oleksiw, Lilly’s Global Chief Customer Officer. "As we celebrate the best swimmers in the country, Lilly is also collaborating with others to promote health and swim equity through support of the Swim IN Safety program. This initiative teaches water safety to the Indiana community, hopefully reducing the risk of drowning and increasing people's confidence in the water.”
“We are thrilled to be working with great partners like Lilly and Team USA to bring the incredible excitement of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming to a legion of Olympic fans as we head toward Paris,” said Dan Lovinger, President, Olympic and Paralympic Sales, NBCUniversal. “When sponsors lean into partnerships like these, it benefits the athletes, the NGBs, and the way people think of their brand.”
Indianapolis hosted the 1924 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials exactly 100 years ago, and the team selected during the Trials participated in the Olympic Games Paris 1924. As a Centennial Partner – the designation in honor of the last Indianapolis-to-Paris journey – Lilly has partnered with USA Swimming and the Indiana Sports Corporation to sponsor the Swim IN Safety program to bring water safety to 50,000 children. This partnership also provides free entrance to Trials to hundreds of children, and encourages volunteerism among Lilly employees.
“Putting three swimming pools in a football stadium is a feat never before attempted,” said Shana Ferguson, Chief Commercial Officer of USA Swimming. “With a stadium set to hold 30,000 spectators per session over the course of nine days and nights, this is the grandest selection event in the history of Olympic sport in the United States. We simply could not do it without partners who dream alongside us as we name the world’s fastest swim team and leave a lasting legacy of water safety and drowning prevention. Lilly answered the call for this year’s Trials in a massive way, and Indiana Sports Corp and USA Swimming are so grateful they share our vision.”
Lilly supported Team USA during Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. In 2023, Lilly renewed its relationship with Team USA and serves as an official Team USA partner in prescription medicine and health equity through the LA28 Games.
"We’re thankful for Lilly’s commitment to the Movement and this next step in our partnership brings the organization more deeply into the Games journey, from its support of athletes with Making Team USA presented by Xfinity to its bespoke sponsorship with U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming in its hometown of Indianapolis,” said Meghan O’Leary, Director of Commercial Development and Innovation at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties (USOPP) and LA28 and two-time U.S. Olympian in rowing.
The U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming presented by Lilly will take place in Indianapolis and feature over 1000 athletes competing in more than 28 events. This is the only opportunity for American swimmers to make the Olympic team, and new athletes will be named to the team each of the nine nights.
To follow the untold story of how Team USA comes to be, fans can visit TeamUSA.com/Making-Team-USA. The Hub features the latest results and qualification information, athlete trackers, competition calendars, exclusive digital content, athlete stories and more.