Nike said Monday that it has no plans to use Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius in future ad campaigns after the South African sports star was charged with murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend.
Nike Inc. spokesman KeJuan Wilkins confirmed the shoe company's plans to The Associated Press. He declined to say whether Nike had previously had any plans for Pistorius, or whether it will pull current advertising that includes him.
Pistorius is a double-amputee who races on carbon-fiber blades and competed in the London Olympics last year. He has been charged with shooting and killing his girlfriend in his South Africa home.
A Nike Internet ad showing Pistorius starting to sprint in his blades with the caption: "I am the bullet in the chamber" has already been pulled.
Pistorius' website, which has been posting statements from his manager and his family, still shows another Nike ad and logos from other sponsors.
One of those, sunglasses maker Oakley, did not respond to a message from The Associated Press on Monday.
However, Peet Van Zyl of Pistorius' management company said Monday that "at this point in time, all sponsors are still on board, and they have given us their commitment towards Oscar, based on the relationships that they have formed with him over the past years." He added that the sponsors "are quite happy to allow the legal process to take its course before they make any other further and formal announcements about it."
Pistorius' agent has canceled the athlete's future scheduled races.
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