Bridgestone Corporation is introducing new adaptive sports equipment for the Paralympic Games in Paris. The company has partnered with Paralympic athletes to develop rubber components for various sports, including gloves, hand rims, and tyres.

“Bridgestone believes in the power of sport to have a positive and lasting impact, especially for younger athletes and those with disabilities,” said Sara Correa, Chief Marketing Officer for Bridgestone in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “We are determined to help remove barriers and create more equitable access to sports because we know the benefits of participation translate far beyond the field of play.”

“The right equipment can be life-changing for athletes,” said Susannah Scaroni, a Team Bridgestone athlete ambassador and Team USA wheelchair racer who won gold in the 5000m event at Tokyo 2020. “When I first received a racing chair designed with me in mind, it gave me greater confidence and trust in my equipment. That allowed my focus to shift more toward my training and performance.”

Bridgestone collaborated with Paralympic athletes in the United States and Japan to develop, test, and evolve various rubber equipment pieces using the same rubber found in its latest generation ENLITEN tyres. Engineers at Bridgestone’s technology centres in the Americas (Akron, Ohio) and Japan (Kodaira City, Tokyo) have created rubber pads for wheelchair racing gloves, wheelchair rugby gloves, rubber hand rims for wheelchairs, rubber soles for prosthetic running blades, and wheelchair tennis tyres.

“Collaborating with the engineering team at Bridgestone has been an amazing experience,” said Chuck Aoki, the co-captain of Team USA Wheelchair Rugby, who has worked with the company on a pair of custom rubber gloves. “Most people don’t realize that even at the Paralympic Games level, adaptive athletes are often creating and customizing their own equipment because what they need is not always available. Working with a partner like Bridgestone has been a rewarding experience, and it has continued to motivate me to find ways to introduce adaptive sports to new people.”

Several Team Bridgestone athlete ambassadors will be competing with some of Bridgestone’s rubber equipment at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. This list includes Aaron Pike (Para Athletics), Chuck Aoki (Wheelchair Rugby), Daniel Romanchuk (Para Athletics), Manami Tanaka (Wheelchair Tennis), Susannah Scaroni (Para Athletics), and Yukako Hata (Para Triathlon).

In all, Bridgestone is currently supporting 20 current and retired Paralympians as Team Bridgestone athlete ambassadors. This includes 17 who will be competing at Paris 2024. The decorated group has collected ten total medals over the past three Paralympic Games.

As a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner, Bridgestone is committed to supporting and enhancing the experience for athletes, staff, fans, and visitors in Paris for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. You can learn more about the company’s contributions to Paris 2024 here.

Bridgestone will supply tailored-made tyres for Lamborghini’s Huracán STO, which will be launched in 2021.

Bridgestone ensured the high-performance tyre can maximise the Huracán STO’s traction, handling, control, and extreme overall performance.

Key to the tyre’s success in maximising the super sports car’s performance is the combination of pattern and cavity design. The Potenza tyres apply an asymmetric tread design for enhanced steering response and cornering stability, and an internal crown structure that distributes footprint pressure evenly when cornering.

As well as the road-focused, custom-developed Potenza fitment, Bridgestone will also be providing a track-oriented, road-homologated version of the tyre that applies “race” technologies to maximise the vehicle’s track performance, especially in dry conditions.

Steven De Bock, VP Consumer Replacement and OE at Bridgestone EMIA, said, “It’s been a pleasure for our team to work so closely with Lamborghini for the first time, and on such an exciting project. The Huracán STO is an incredible piece of engineering that deserves a custom tyre that can fulfill its full potential. I can proudly say that Bridgestone has delivered such a high-performance tyre. It has been fantastic for the team to have worked on a project that is at the forefront of technology in so many ways.”

Hankook, one of the major global tyre brands, has started testing and development operations at its new ultra modern facility in Spain.

The testing facility has been set up on the premises of the Applus+ IDIADA Group and can also cater to European premium car manufacturers that have their own demanding tyre tests. The facility is completely automated and will host a 20-member team from the Spanish testing centre, which is affiliated to the Hankook Europe Technical Centre.

Klaus Krause, Head of European Research and Development Centre, said, "With the further expansion of our testing capacities in Spain, we are reaching the next level together with our local partner Applus+ IDIADA."

He also added, "We are confident that the newly installed testing facilities in particular will significantly improve our efforts to provide the best tyre testing conditions and services to our employees and customers. In addition, we will also be able to conduct significantly more tests on site." (TT)

ASCENSO introduced a construction tyre - BLB 730- which is used for boom lift vehicles used in construction and other industries. It comes with several features that cater to the unique needs of aerial lifting equipment.

The BLB 730 tyre is available in different sizes to fit various boom lift vehicles. This range of sizes provides versatility and compatibility with different types of aerial lift work platforms.

“ASCENSO's BLB 730 tyre is a significant advancement in specialised equipment for the construction industry. It focuses on load capacity, stability, traction, and durability to improve the performance and safety of boom lift vehicles. Whether working at heights or manoeuvring on tough terrains, this tyre offers reliability and durability for efficient operations,” said the company in a statement.

The BLB 730 tyre is built to handle heavy loads and stabilise boom lift vehicles. It has solid lugs and a more extended shoulder design, which ensures good traction and prevents slipping during operation. This is important for safely carrying heavy weights at high elevations. ASCENSO has used a special rubber compound in making the BLB 730 tyre, making it durable and long-lasting, resulting in less downtime and more productivity on construction sites.

To make the tyre even better, the company has optimised its inner volume to reduce tyre fill consumption, reducing the risk of tyre punctures, minimising the need for maintenance, and keep the vehicles running smoothly.

Falken Tyre Europe is an official IHF Men's World Championship 2023 partner for the upcoming tournament, the company has announced. The tournament is taking place at nine venues in Sweden and Poland from 11-29 January, 2023. Falken Tyre claims that the partnership was organised by the sports marketing agency SPORTFIVE. SPORTFIVE is responsible for exclusive marketing and media rights for all IHF World Championships until 2031.

Falken Tyre claims that this is its second agreement with the International Handball Federation. In addition to title and logo rights (Official IHF Men's World Championship 2023 Partner), the company has also secured advertising rights, including the Falken logo in each goal and centre circle of the courts, as well as the presence of Falken branding in the official tournament social media communications and print materials. According to Falken Tyre, this is complemented by 30-second video ads that will be shown on the big screens in the nine sports halls before the start of each match and at half-time.

Sharing his views, Robert Müller von Vultejus, Chief Growth Officer at SPORTFIVE, said, “With Falken, the IHF World Handball Championships have secured a great partner who is positioned with far-reaching influence in the relevant core markets. We are delighted to have been able to bring two global partners together for one of the most exciting sporting events of next year.”

Markus Bögner, COO and President of Falken Tyre Europe GmbH, explained, “Handball isn’t just of great importance in Europe, but all over the world, which has led us to partake in this top-level tournament once again. The fact that the international tournament is taking place in countries that are among our core markets is another great reason for our involvement. We can also look back on a long partnership with our colleagues at SPORTFIVE, who always offers us excellent opportunities that are an excellent fit for the Falken brand, which stands for enthusiasm, performance and achievement.”