Skier Graham Bell. Photo: Adrian Myers
A French outdoors retailer has signed a British skier as its newest brand ambassador.
Decathlon, which has almost 30 stores in the UK, revealed Graham Bell would represent its snowsports brand Wed’ze.
The British Olympic skier, television presenter, adventurer and journalist continues to be regarded as one of the best downhill skiers the UK has produced, claiming the title of the ski champion of Britain on eight occasions during his career.
The five-times Olympian, sporting enthusiast and television personality has remained at the forefront of British sport, commentating on the Winter Olympics, fronting the popular BBC series Ski Sunday and working with a range of organisations and events to support the development of both winter and summer sports.
Bell is also the performance director of Channel 4’s show The Jump, teaching celebrities various disciplines from the Winter Olympics.
Wed’ze, which was created in 2006, is Decathlon’s ski, snowboard and sledge own brand.
Wed’ze’s design centre is located in the heart of the French Alps, in the Mont Blanc valley, close to the area’s ski resorts.
Decathlon was formed in 1976 in Englos, northern France. Its first UK store opened in Surrey Quays in London Docklands, in 1999. The company stocks outdoors, cycling, sporting and snowsports clothing and equipment at affordable prices, and continues to expand its UK operation.
Graham Bell said: “I’m delighted to be working with Decathlon and the Wed’ze brand.
“I love the ethos behind the brand, to make the pleasure and benefits of sport available to many and as a huge sports enthusiast myself this message really resonates with me and I feel it is something to be encouraged.”
Graham Bell and his brother Martin competed for Great Britain in skiing events during the 1980s and 1990s. He retired from professional ski competition in 1998.
Andrew Marshall
31 January 2017yikees thats a mistake...
our local Decathlon is very poor... items just thrown anywhere prices tags missing and staff that have little to know knowledge of what the sport or stock it... So many times I have butted in when a member of staff is trying to sell an item thats is not fit for the purpose the customer requires.... Most recently when it to pick up some rope(one of the cheapest stockest around) when I over heard the staff member trying to sell 6mm rope to a customer for abseiling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stopped them and made sure the customer got the right one. Staff member thanked me(as did the customer) and told me she had been put on there as there was no one else due to staffing issues... I sent an email to their head office and was told it was a one off incident to which I replied this was one of many I had experienced. Such ashame for Graham as his name will now be part of this.