Nike says it will end financial penalties for pregnant athletes

Nike realized last year that performance obligations had a disproportionate effect on female athletes

Responding to criticism about its treatment of its sponsored athletes who become pregnant, the sportswear giant Nike committed on Friday to ensuring that such athletes are not financially penalized.

Nike said it would waive performance-pay reductions for 12 months for athletes “who decide to have a baby,” promising to add terms that reinforce this policy into the company’s contracts with sponsored athletes.

In articles and videos for The New York Times opinion department over the past two weeks, current and former Nike-sponsored runners such as Alysia Montaño, Kara Goucher, Phoebe Wright and Allyson Felix recalled tough decisions they had to make when