Toyota Named Official Vehicle of USA Swimming

INDIANAPOLIS, April 1 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., and USA Swimming announced today an agreement making Toyota an official sponsor and the official vehicle of USA Swimming. The multi-year sponsorship includes a variety of licensing, event and promotional opportunities.

"Swimming connects with an active cross-section of America, both young and old," said Jim Press, TMS executive vice president and COO. "For some, it's about competition and reaching one's personal best. For others, it's about recreation or physical rehabilitation. For everyone, water safety is paramount, though. That's why it's especially gratifying to support USA Swimming's learn-to-swim and water-safety initiatives."

The partnership with USA Swimming extends Toyota's interest in aquatic sports. Last year, the automaker sponsored the Toyota Aquatics Grand Prix in Long Beach, Calif., which preceded the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with the Janet Evans Invitational. Toyota Aquatics Grand Prix concluded with the women's and men's FINA World League Water Polo Superfinal.

"We are very pleased to have Toyota join the USA Swimming sponsor family," said Rod Davis, USA Swimming Chief Marketing Officer. "The principles of USA Swimming, both in competition and in business, are rooted in setting goals and exceeding expectations, which are shared by Toyota."

Toyota will support USA Swimming in a number of events and programs, including a series of elite swim meets like "Duel in the Pool." Featuring athlete appearances and celebrity instructors, a national campaign will also launch this summer to promote learn-to-swim initiatives, water safety, and family recreation through aquatics. The creation of the Toyota Time Standards section on the USA Swimming Web site will help swimmers track their progress. Toyota will also help create an award to identify and honor emerging talent in competitive swimming, both in the pool and in the areas of academics and community involvement.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) is the sales, marketing, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion in the United States, marketing products and services through a network of 1,422 Toyota and Lexus dealers in 49 states. Established in 1957, TMS and its subsidiaries are also involved in distribution logistics, motorsports, and general aviation. The company's main Web site is www.toyota.com.

As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming supports a variety of grassroots, competitive, and educational initiatives on behalf of its 300,000 members and National Teams. For more information about USA Swimming, visit www.usaswimming.org.