US swimmer Michael Phelps agreed a deal to endorse carmaker Mazda in China.
The sponsorship with Phelps, who won a record eight Olympic gold medals in China, is the largest single deal of its kind with a western celebrity in Chinese history, according to a statement from DMG Entertainment, which announced the deal.
Phelps, a winner of 14 Olympic gold medals overall, will exclusively endorse the new Mazda 6 model, and the campaign will be unveiled by the middle of 2009.
Phelps has signed sponsorship deals with several companies since his performance at the Summer Games in Beijing, including Kellogg's, AT&T and Subway.
