Lawsuit Filed by Track Star Against Puma Involves F1 Team

An American track and field athlete has taken legal action against a major sports brand, and intriguingly, a Formula 1 team is also implicated in the situation.

Abby Steiner, a standout at the University of Kentucky with four NCAA titles and two world championships, signed a $2 million deal with Puma in 2022. However, in a surprising turn of events, two years later, she found herself competing in her last event, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, after injuries hindered her ability to participate at either professional or Olympic levels.

In her lawsuit, filed recently in Middlesex County Superior Court in Massachusetts, Steiner claims that her injuries stemmed from faulty sneakers and spikes manufactured by Puma. Reports indicate she was “severely injured” due to products incorporating carbon fiber plate (CFP) and nitrofoam (NF) technologies. Specifically, the lawsuit mentions the PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 2 and 3 models, along with the evoSPEED Tokyo Nitro shoe.

Here’s the intriguing part—along with Puma, the lawsuit also names the Mercedes Formula 1 team, which allegedly played a role in the shoe design. Mercedes had previously collaborated with Puma as an athletic gear partner but has since switched to Adidas.

The complaint alleges that the shoes utilizing CFP and NF technologies disrupted the biomechanics of runners, leading to bone stress injuries.

Steiner, a member of U.S. relay teams that claimed gold in the 4x100m and 4x400m, is pursuing both financial and non-financial compensation, which includes medical costs and potential lost earnings from her career.