10m diving Olympic silver and gold medalists Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre this month. Adorned to their podium uniforms are the logo of Anta Sports, the Chinese Olympic delegation's official uniform supplier since 2009. Credit: Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo
The pandemic has changed the way we dress, with one sector of the fashion industry benefiting greatly: Athleisure manufacturers. Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, Under Armour, and others have all seen their stock rise over the last year amid strong sales.
Among these success stories, one company stands apart: China’s Anta Sports.
Anta is now the third most valuable sportswear company in the world, trailing only Nike and Adidas, with a market value of nearly $65 billion. That may surprise many Western consumers, who probably haven’t heard of the brand. While the company has spent heavily on endorsement deals with National Basketball Association players and Olympic sponsorships, it operates few stores overseas. Its consumer base is overwhelmingly Chinese.
Data: Yahoo Finance
And while other major brands shy away from controversies that might put them at odds with Beijing or Western public opinion, Anta has repeatedly stepped into the political fray, leveraging waves of Chi
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