These companies that are committed to athletes

The countdown has begun. Starting July 26, Paris will welcome several thousand athletes for the Olympic and then Paralympic Games. Among these high-level athletes, some benefit from special support: that of companies that have formed their own team.

THE “Teams of athletes” have multiplied in recent months. Of the 77 partners that Paris 2024 has, 40 have, according to the Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Cojop), formed a collective of athletes. Including Allianz (world partner of the event) and the BPCE group (partner premium), who hope to take advantage of the performances of the athletes supported during the competition to make their brand image shine. This is not the only interest in sponsorship and patronage carried out by official partners. “Another major benefit of this partnership is that it has allowed us to highlight sport as a subject of well-being in a society that is becoming sedentary.”says Alexandre du Garreau, member of the executive committee in charge of distribution at Allianz France. Other players in the insurance world have also created structures to support athletes. But not exactly with the same objectives. “Our aim is not necessarily to support athletes who have already won medals or are well-known, but rather athletes who share our values.”explains Pascal Andrieux, director of social and societal commitments at Malakoff Humanis. The social protection group, which is very involved in disability-related issues, has formed a team since last year, mainly composed of athletes with intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome or autism who are not intellectually disabled. “We chose these athletes because they can change the way people with mental and/or psychological disabilities are viewed.”adds Pascal Andrieux.

The Maif group – which has been pursuing a global environmental approach for several years – has put together a team of seven champions with a keen interest in ecology. While Intériale, a mutual insurance company specializing in the coverage of national police officers, has chosen – quite logically – to support a police assistant, the kayaker Vanina Paoletti. “By supporting sports, we want to encourage our members to take care of their health”explains Gilles Bachelier, president of Intériale. However, there is no question of these companies – non-official sponsors of Paris 2024 – publicly supporting their athletes during the Games period. Article 40 of the Olympic Charter, which sets out the principles governing the use of the image of participants in the Games, forbids them from doing so. No matter. “We work with these athletes over the long term. After the Games, we plan to involve some of them in internal conferences or round tables so that they can give their testimony and share their experience and serve as an example to other employees.”concludes Pascal Andrieux.

Allianz, the official partner

• Number of athletes supported: Eight athletes are part of Team Allianz: Loïc Pietri (judo), Oscar Burnham (para-alpine skiing), Juliette Lacome (surfing), Antoine Adelisse (freestyle skiing), Clarisse Agbegnenou (judo), Carlota Dudek (breakdancing), Typhaine Soldé (para-athletics) and Michaël Jérémiasz (wheelchair tennis).
• Specificity of the partnership: Clarisse Agbegnenou has already been crowned Olympic champion at the Tokyo 2020 Games, and Michaël Jeremiasz in Beijing in 2008.
• Goals : Allianz is a Top Partner of the Olympic Committee and is counting on Paris 2024 to develop “three pillars: that of the brand, of the business and the commitment of employees and distribution networks”summarizes Christophe Dépont, director of brand, advertising, social networks and partnerships at Allianz France.

Malakoff Humanis, a little something extra

• Number of athletes supported: Nine athletes make up the Malakoff Humanis athletic team.
• Specificity of the partnership: Eight athletes from Team Malakoff Humanis – present in three Paralympic disciplines (table tennis, swimming, athletics) – are intellectually disabled, have Down syndrome or are autistic and not intellectually disabled, and are members of the French Federation of Adapted Sports (FFSA). The last athlete supported, Nantenin Keïta (6), Paralympic champion in the 400 meters in Rio in 2016, who will be at the start in Paris, is an employee of the group.
• Goals : Committed since 2009 to the development of sports practice for people with disabilities, the social protection group intends to change the way we view mental and/or psychological disabilities through sport and to promote its practice as a vector for social integration.

April, the side step

• Number of athletes supported: Team April has five athletes, three of whom have qualified for the Olympic Games: Manon Apithy-Brunet in sabre, Sarah-Léonie Cysique in judo, and Loana Lecomte in cross-country mountain biking, and one for the Paralympic Games: Benjamin Lacroix-Desmazes, in sitting volleyball.
• Specificity of the partnership: “April has always wanted to change the image of insurance and be where others are not. With Team April, we bring these commitments to life, supporting athletes who are shaking things up in their own fields and who share our values.”explains the wholesale broker.
• Goals : “We are taking our employees, our broker partners and our policyholders on this adventure, with the idea of ​​enjoying life together and experiencing ultra-privileged and – inevitably – unforgettable moments with our athletes.”explains Benoît Le Corre, director of group communications and the April brand.

Intériale, alongside the agents

• Number of athletes supported: The Intériale mutual insurance company, specializing in coverage for National Police officers, is supporting an athlete qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: kayaker Vanina Paoletti.
• Specificity of the partnership: This sportswoman, who is aiming for “a medal” in the 500-metre two-person kayak sprint event, is a police assistant.
• Goals : Intériale accompanies it “for three years thanks to a sponsorship agreement”indicates the president of the mutual, Gilles Bachelier.

BPCE, in all territories

• Number of athletes supported: More than 240 high-level athletes are supported by BPCE, including 65 athletes and 8 teams selected for Paris 2024 to date, including fencer Jade Maréchal (photo).
• Specificity of the partnership: Various entities of the mutualist group – including Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne – support athletes, both in mainland France and in overseas territories.
• Goals : The partnership with Paris 2024 should contribute to BPCE’s ambition to become the leading banking player in the sports economy. The system implemented is broken down into sponsorship actions, sponsorshiptraining and retraining to support high-level French athletes, whether experienced or promising, in their dual sporting and professional projects. The group also financed the Olympic Village in Seine-Saint-Denis, in the form of loans and guarantees, to the tune of €1 billion.

Maif, committed women in the spotlight

• Number of athletes supported: The Maif Sport Planète movement has seven high-level sportswomen in swimming, gymnastics, modern pentathlon, basketball, athletics, para-swimming and snowboarding.
• Specificity of the partnership: Maif launched this movement at the end of 2019 to “to motivate and collectively engage sports stakeholders in favor of preserving the planet”At the start of 2024, the mutual insurer strengthened its awareness-raising approach by partnering with these seven champions.
• Goals : Brought together within the collective Les Capitaines Sport Planète (present below), they participate in awareness-raising actions throughout the year “in order to actively contribute to the ecological transition of the world of sport and encourage more responsible behavior”.