· Beyond tires, the company is also supporting athletes, staff and operations through road safety education, automotive service, high-performing sports equipment, and more.
· Bridgestone’s contributions to Paris 2024 are designed to showcase its commitments to safety, sustainability, inclusivity and innovation.
Tokyo (July 2, 2024) – Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) is proudly contributing a variety of tires, services and performance products at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. As a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner, Bridgestone is committed to helping support and enhance the experience for all athletes, staff, fans and visitors in Paris.
Bridgestone is a global leader in tires that drive premium performance. The company’s contributions to Paris 2024 operations and activities are designed to showcase how we are creating social and customer value through safety, sustainability, inclusivity and innovation.
These efforts include:
· Advanced tires and automotive service for Paris 2024 fleet vehicles;
· Road safety education for Paris 2024 drivers;
· Collaboration with fellow Paris 2024 partners to advance inclusive and sustainable transportation options at the event; and
· High-performance golf products and adaptive sports equipment for Olympic and Paralympic athletes.“The Olympic and Paralympic Games are powerful platforms that unite and inspire people around the world through emotion and performance,” said Laurent Dartoux, Management Board Chair and Group President, Bridgestone Europe Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA). “The objectives of the Olympic and Paralympic movements closely align with Bridgestone’s mission ‘Serving Society with Superior Quality’ and our vision to create a more sustainable world for future generations. Through our support for Paris 2024, we are promoting and demonstrating our shared values to our employees, our communities, and our customers.”
Advanced Tire Performance and Service for the Paris 2024 Fleet
As the Official Tire of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Bridgestone is helping keep the official Olympic and Paralympic fleet in motion. Bridgestone is providing a variety of its premium tires for more than 1,000 of Toyota’s newly-provided vehicles.
This product offering includes the new Bridgestone Turanza 6 and the Bridgestone Alenza 001 tires featuring the company’s advanced ENLITEN technology. ENLITEN is a combination of cutting-edge technologies and materials designed to optimize performance, durability, and/or sustainability characteristics.¹ Through ENLITEN, Bridgestone will continue to design premium tires to fit the evolving performance needs of its customers and the future mobility ecosystem, particularly EVs.
Bridgestone is also providing its high-performing motorcycle tires for more than 20 motorcycles used in support of Paris 2024 road course events. These provisions include tire fitments for a prototype Kawasaki hydrogen motorcycle.
More than three dozen Bridgestone-owned Speedy and First Stop tire and maintenance service centers will be on call during Gamestime to support all fleet tires and passenger vehicles. These locations throughout the Paris 2024 venue footprint will provide tire checks and related automotive service for the nearly 3,000 cars operating at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Speedy will also provide glass-related services, including windshield repair and replacement.
Road Safety Training for Paris 2024 Drivers
To promote road safety, Bridgestone created an e-learning education model as part of a training series for drivers. The training will be offered to the nearly 4,000 volunteer drivers before they get behind a wheel to pilot the Paris 2024 fleet. The module highlights the important role tires play in vehicle safety and performance. It also offers tire care tips for checking tread and maintaining proper inflation.
Collaboration to Advance Accessible and More Sustainable Transportation
In addition to supporting the 100%-electrified Toyota passenger vehicle fleet, Bridgestone is providing tire fitments designed to help maximize a number Toyota’s hydrogen-powered and inclusive mobility offerings. This collaborative support for emerging innovation vehicles includes tires fitted for 500 Hydrogen-fueled Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) cars and two Hydrogen-fueled FCEV buses. It also includes tires fitted for 250 Toyota zero tailpipe emission electric Accessible People Movers (APM) that will transport athletes, staff, and fans during the Games. The APMs are vehicles specifically designed for people with physical disabilities. They are fitted with Bridgestone Ecopia EP150 tires designed to provide a comfortable riding experience and low rolling resistance efficiency that can help maximize fuel/energy consumption.
Bridgestone also will supply more than 600 bicycles for alternative options of non-motorized transportation. Bridgestone is partnering with Decathlon, an international sporting goods manufacturer based in France and Official Partner of Paris 2024, to make the bikes available across Paris 2024 venues and in the Olympic and Paralympic Village. The bicycles will be available to athletes, volunteers and staff for convenient and efficient transportation where car travel is not necessary. After Paris 2024 concludes, Bridgestone will partner with Ville de Paris to donate approximately 500 of the bikes locally to community organizations.
High-performance Sports Equipment for Olympic and Paralympic Athletes
A number of Olympic and Paralympic athletes competing at Paris 2024 will help demonstrate how Bridgestone innovation and premium performance extends beyond tires.
Bridgestone Golf products and technology will be on display at the Paris 2024 men’s and women’s golf events. Numerous professional golfers who use Bridgestone golf balls have qualified for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. In support of these athletes, the company is providing approximately 3,500 high-performance golf balls for use on the tournament practice range.
Additionally, numerous adaptive athletes from the United States and Japan will use Bridgestone rubber and equipment during competition at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Bridgestone engineers, designers and materials experts have leveraged their tire and rubber experience to explore rubber applications for several sports. These innovation opportunities include the use of Bridgestone tire rubber for gloves, wheelchair hand rims, prosthetic running blades, spike plates, wheelchair tires, and more.
Bridgestone’s work with global athletes is designed to inspire people of all backgrounds and abilities to overcome adversity and chase their dreams. Currently, Bridgestone is partnering with 40 Olympians, Paralympians, and hopefuls to represent the brand as Team Bridgestone athlete ambassadors.
“Bridgestone has driven innovation for nearly a century – and we continue to build on that legacy today through advanced tire technologies and beyond,” added Dartoux. “We are proud to support Paris 2024 athletes and operations with products, services and solutions where our technological know how can be of help. It demonstrates our commitment to more sustainable premium performance – because what really matters is that we enable all people to perform at their best for generations to come.”
Bridgestone’s support for the Olympic and Paralympic Games aligns with the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, which consists of eight Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter "E" (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, Empowerment). Our Bridgestone E8 Commitment guides the company’s efforts to help create a more sustainable world. Through its Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partnerships, the company is delivering on its commitments to “Emotion” and “Empowerment.”
Additional information about Bridgestone’s Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partnerships can be found online at Bridgestone.com/olympics/.
¹ The specific ENLITEN technology attributes vary by tire product. Results may vary depending upon proper tire and vehicle maintenance, road conditions, and driving habits.
The Bridgestone Turanza 6 is designed to provide improved fuel efficiency or extended battery range (depending on vehicle type), delivering a reduction of 4% in rolling resistance versus its predecessor and offering best-in-class EU label A-grade in rolling resistance in selected sizes. The material technology in the product is designed to increase durability by 22% compared to its predecessor. This means the tire needs to be changed less frequently and can help reduce the consumption of raw materials in the long-term. The Turanza 6 was also developed through Bridgestone’s new virtual tire development technology that helps Bridgestone predict tire performance in different conditions before physically building prototypes. In the development phase, this approach leads to a savings of 21% of raw materials and CO2 emissions, while cutting 60,000 kilometres and 7.7 tonnes of CO2 from outdoor testing.
The Bridgestone Alenza 001 tire with ENLITEN features a tire casing designed to reduce rolling resistance and help improve fuel/energy efficiency. The material technology in the product also is designed to increase durability and extend the lifespan of the tire by up to 11 percent vs. previous comparable Bridgestone products. This means the tire needs to be changed less frequently and can help reduce the consumption of raw materials in the long-term.
About Bridgestone Corporation:
Bridgestone is a global leader in tires and rubber building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company employs approximately 130,000 people globally and conducts business in more than 150 countries and territories worldwide. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.
About Bridgestone Corporation’s Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partnerships:
Bridgestone proudly became a Worldwide Olympic Partner in 2014 and a Worldwide Paralympic Partner in 2018. Bridgestone is dedicated to delivering products, services and solutions that improve the way people move, live, work and play, and its commitment to the Olympic Movement and Paralympic Movement continues a history of sport and innovation dating back more than 100 years. As a worldwide partner, Bridgestone has marketing rights that include its full range of tires, tire services and selected automotive vehicle services, self-propelled bicycles, seismic isolations bearings, and a variety of building and industrial products.
About Team Bridgestone:
All Bridgestone activities related to its Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partnerships are designed to empower people of all backgrounds and abilities to persevere through adversity and perform at their best, no matter what. In support of these efforts, the company is currently partnering with more than 40 inspiring Olympians, Paralympians, and hopefuls from ten countries and over 20 sports to serve as Team Bridgestone brand ambassadors on the Road to Paris 2024.
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