OSAKA -- Asics had anticipated a banner year in the run-up to what would have been this summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo, planning to release its first carbon-plated shoe in Japan on April 17 in a direct challenge to its chief competitor, Nike.
But like a torn Achilles tendon, the coronavirus outbreak put a halt to those plans -- forcing the company's stores to shut and the games to be postponed. Yet some investors are betting on a dramatic comeback by the time the Olympics are held in 2021.
