Much as the Adidas purchase of Reebok started with a drink at the Athens Olympics in 2004 between Paul Fireman and Herbert Hainer, the mating ritual of JD Sports and Little Foot began with a casual discussion at the Rio Olympics between JD chief Peter Cowgill and FINL CEO Sam Sato. Little Foot was in the middle of a string of disappointing quarters that would continue through the present while JD was going from one success to the next, but JD was evidently keen on entering the U.S. market and thought there might be a reason to talk.

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