Labor and Agents: High-flying Chloe Kim lines up deals ahead of Olympics

Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim has multiple corporate partnerships with brands that include Nike, Toyota, Monster energy drink and Breitling watches going into the Beijing Games.

Kim, who was the youngest woman to win a gold medal in snowboarding in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, also has partnerships with Mammoth Mountain ski resort, Oakley for eyewear and Roxy for outerwear and snowboarding hard goods.

“Chloe will be one of the faces of the Beijing Olympics,” said Lowell Taub , Kim’s agent and founder of Stoked Management , who was working to finalize more deals for the 21-year-old Kim last week.

“She is back to defend her 2018 gold medal, which she won in historic fashion with the highest score in the history of halfpipe snowboarding and the youngest halfpipe gold medalist ever,” Taub said. “The country was introduced to her at 17 years old and now after a year at Princeton, she’s back to progress the sport and defend her gold medal.”

Taub launched Stoked Management last year after leaving CAA Sports , where he led the Olympics and action sports division for 13 years. He also represents Toby Miller , a halfpipe snowboarder, and negotiated deals for him with Toyota, Red Bull, Backcountry for snowboarding outerwear and hard goods, POC for helmet, and John Paul Mitchell for hair care.

Taub represents figure skater Jason Brown and negotiated a deal for him with Ralph Lauren. Additionally, Stoked Management has signed its first NIL client — swimmer Emma Weyant , who won a silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics and is a sophomore at the University of Virginia.

VON MILLER TRADE BITTERSWEET: The Denver Broncos’ trade of Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams was bittersweet for the eight-time Pro Bowl and Super Bowl MVP outside linebacker, his longtime agent said last week.

“He’s got mixed emotions,” Joby Branion , founder of Vanguard Sports Group , told Sports Business Journal on the day of the trade last week. “Von Miller is not a mercenary. He’s a guy who wants to be part of something.”

Branion noted that the prospect of going to a team with a chance of making and winning the Super Bowl this year is appealing. The Rams were 7-1 last week when they made the trade.

But at the same time, Miller is “a loyal, loyal guy” said Branion, who has represented him since the Broncos picked him No. 2 overall in the 2011 NFL draft out of Texas A&M. “I believe if it were up to Von Miller he would still be an Aggie,” Branion said. “He’s been a Bronco this whole time.”

Miller was entering the last year of what was a six-year, $114 million contract. He sometimes trains in Los Angeles in the offseason and is friends with Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey , Branion said.

ATHLETES FIRST SIGNS COACHES: Athletes First has signed two new college football coaches — SMU head football coach Sonny Dykes and University of Texas at San Antonio head coach Jeff Traylor .

Athletes First agents Trace Armstrong and Alex Hammond are representing the coaches. Armstrong and Hammond also recently negotiated Traylor’s 10-year extension with UTSA worth a reported $28 million.

ROSENHAUS SIGNS TWO VETS: Rosenhaus Sports has signed Miami Dolphins linebacker Elandon Roberts and New England Patriots cornerback Brian Poole for representation.

Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey will represent Poole, and Rosenhaus will represent Roberts. Both Poole and Roberts will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. 

NEWPORT SIGNS BRÄNNSTRÖM: Newport Sports has signed Erik Brännström , a defenseman in the Ottawa Senators organization, for representation. NHL agent Craig Oster is representing Brännström, a native of Sweden, who was the No. 15 pick in the 2017 NHL draft.

Liz Mullen can be reached at  lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter  @SBJLizMullen.