Swimmers Nick Driebergen and Femke Heemskerk sign contract with E.ON Benelux
7 July 2008 - Swimming talents Femke Heemskerk (20) and Nick Driebergen (20) have signed a contract with E.ON Benelux. The contract offers both swimmers extra opportunities to develop as sportspeople and reinforces E.ON’s links with the Dutch swimming scene.
Femke Heemskerk and Nick Driebergen’s recent results as swimmers confirm their places among a select group of international-level high performers. Over the next several years, the Netherlands can expect a lot from these young men and women. Femke Heemskerk achieved good individual results at the most recent Dutch and World swimming championships (short distance). Femke Heemskerk is part of the golden relay team which won the European Championships 4x100m free stroke and the World Championships Short Distance 4x100 and 4x200m free stroke in 2008. Nick Driebergen won the 100 and 200 meters backstroke at the Dutch Championships, while securing a place for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
“E.ON has taken swimming on board at the level of an international sport,” says Odila Sibrijns, Manager Marketing & Branding of E.ON Benelux. “Our involvement in swimming – arguably among the most healthy and energy-charged sports – has been formalized with the Royal Dutch Swimming Association (KNZB) in the form of a five-year sponsorship contract, a focal part of which will be to develop swimming talent. This meshes neatly with sponsorship of Femke and Nick.”
From the side of the KNZB it’s good to see how E.ON’s involvement has so rapidly translated into individual contracts with Femke and Nick. “It highlights E.ON’s serious approach to sponsorship - as well as giving two of our talented youngsters a wonderful chance to get the maximum payoff from their input in the pool,”
says KNZB’s director Jan Kossen.
E.ON strongly believes that swimming can only benefit from a high-profile talented young squad – inspiring others to follow their lead. To this end E.ON
has expanded the KNZB partnership with individual sponsorship of two up-and-coming talents. The contracts with Nick Driebergen and Femke Heemskerk will run for four-and-a-half years including the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing and London in 2012. For the two swimmers collaboration with E.ON enables more intensive training over a longer period, plus greater focus on their specialities. Obviously, this is hoped to boost results in the London Olympics. The individual contracts comprise annual financial backing with potential bonuses linked to performance. Meanwhile, the contracts give E.ON Femke and Nick’s image rights for advertising, external communications and events. Both swimmers are also available for events and workshops organised by E.ON for relations and staff.