Nike

In January, the death of Kobe Bryant and eight other people, including his daughter Gianna, in a helicopter crash shook the sports world. In August, the month of his birthday, the Los Angeles Lakers, Nike and Bryant's former hometown posthumously honor the "Black Mamba".

Nike has opened its first House of Innovation in Europe in Paris. In the newest of three flagship stores worldwide, the US sporting goods giant is presenting its vision of sports shopping - including a digitally networked shopping experience.

Asics starts in 2020 with a new EMEA boss: Carsten Unbehaun, previously CEO of Haglöfs, succeeds Alistair Cameron. It is intended to further stabilize the company in a challenging market. In addition to Unbehaun, a new Vice President will join.

World star Roger Federer is a new shareholder in On Running. The running shoe brand, which is showing the highest growth in its segment and has not yet had any connections to tennis, is expecting a development step.

The sporting goods giant will close the Speedfactories in Germany and the USA by April 2020 at the latest. The company is now using the findings of the sneaker factory at other locations.