By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance is celebrating its four-year sponsorship of Team USA with kick-off ceremonies Thursday that include such famous Olympic athletes as Aly Raisman, Michelle Kwan, and Mike Eruzione.

Kayla Harrison, US Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo, and Paul Alexander of Liberty Mutual. Photo courtesy of Liberty Mutual.

Why the timing? Because exactly one year from today the Winter Olympics are scheduled to start in Sochi, Russia, said Paul Alexander, Liberty Mutuals chief communications officer.

For the record, Liberty Mutual Insurance is an official sponsor of the USOC and of the 2014 US Olympic and Paralympic Teams in as well as a sponsor of those teams in the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. The sponsorship designates Liberty Mutual Insurance as the official property and casualty and life insurance partner

One reason to sponsor an Olympic team is to boost employee morale. But a more important one is that the sponsorship will enable Liberty Mutual to scale up its brand, Alexander said.

For the last five or so years, Liberty Mutuals marketing mantra has been: Responsibility. Whats your policy?

Were looking to leverage our responsibility positioning, and there are few better ways to do that than to be a sponsor of Team USA and the Olympics, Alexander said.

Being an Olympic sponsor can also raise the companys profile worldwide as it looks to grow overseas. Last year, for example, an acquisition helped Liberty Mutual enter the Russian market.

And one of the companys biggest international markets is Brazil, site of the summer games in 2016.

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Liberty Mutual gears up for the Olympics with its Team USA sponsorship