Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

2 days ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

2 days ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

3 days ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

3 days ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

3 days ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

3 days ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

3 days ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

3 days ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

3 days ago
Olympics Offer Athletes Chance for Gold and Financial Gains from Brief Fame
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 11 months ago on
August 6, 2024

The Paris 2024 Olympic gold medal is shown to media members in Paris, Feb. 1, 2024. (AP/Thibault Camus)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

PARIS — Noah Lyles wasted no time. After winning the 100 meters at the Paris Olympics, he promptly declared what he wanted the most as the newly anointed Fastest Man Alive.

“I want my own shoe,” he said. “I want my own trainer. I’m dead serious. I want a sneaker. There ain’t no money in spikes, there’s money in sneakers. I feel like for how many medals we bring back and the notoriety we get, the fact that hasn’t happened, that’s crazy for me. I feel like that needs to happen.”

Athletes come to the Olympics seeking gold medals, but for some, there are more lucrative prizes at stake. The two-week competition provides a global stage for competitors to be noticed and potentially cash in and extend their 15 minutes of fame.

Few outside of gymnastics had ever heard of Stephen Nedoroscik before the Paris Games. After helping the U.S. men to their first team competition medal in 16 years, the bespectacled “Pommel Horse Guy” should have eyeglass maker Warby Parker banging on his door.

Unique Opportunities Arise for Olympic Athletes

American runner Kendall Ellis found herself stuck in a porta potty at the U.S. track trials, and she landed a sponsorship deal with toilet paper maker Charmin.

“It was just the perfect fit,” Ellis said.

French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati found offers coming his way — granted, from porn company CamSoda — after he was eliminated from the Paris Olympics because he couldn’t clear the bar. The reason? It had gotten stuck on his crotch and knocked down, resulting in a 12th-place finish.

Social Media Presence Boosts Athlete’s Marketability

The agent for American rugby player Ilona Maher can barely catch her breath in Paris, where Maher has boosted her initial popularity from three years ago at the Tokyo Games all the way to bona fide stardom. Maher’s savvy use of social media attracted attention in Tokyo but is now at a global level — she has nearly 5.5 million followers across her social media accounts and almost 121 million likes across all her TikToks — and has cultivated a brand.

“A lot of people see her popping off right now and having this viral moment, but we’ve been working really strategically to be able to position her to have a lightning in a bottle moment,” said agent Rheann Engelke of Range Sports.

A tracking service found that Maher saw a 257% increase in Instagram followers from June 30 to July 30, as she led the United States to its first medal, a bronze, in rugby sevens.

With her crowning athletic achievement and burgeoning fame, the offers began pouring in. Maher’s platform is focused on body positivity, women empowerment, promoting rugby and encouraging young girls to play sports, but her sharp sense of humor and social media use has brought in dozens of opportunities — including some in the entertainment space.

“What’s really special about Ilona is going into this Olympic moment, she knew exactly who she was, she knew what her message was and she knew the kind of brands she wanted to align with,” Engelke said. “We can take the process a little slow and really look at who is aligned with her, who is the right brand partner. It’s certainly hectic right now, but we will be somewhat strategic and slow because it is vitally important for Ilona being exactly who she is.”

Storytelling and Relatability Key to Capturing Audience

T. Bettina Cornwell, the Philip H. Knight Chair at the University of Oregon and head of the department of marketing, believes an athlete must go beyond building a social media platform to have real staying power. The big deals go to Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, or retired swimmer Michael Phelps. The athletes from lesser known sports must understand the audience.

“An athlete captures an audience at the intersection of sport performance and a life story. This is not to say that top performing athletes cannot have top follower numbers on social media, but to truly capture the heart of an audience, storytelling is essential,” Cornwell said. “The more relatable an athlete is as a person, the more the audience will enjoy their unrelatable elite athletic performance — ‘I don’t know how she does it, but I love watching her!'”

But the world today is fickle and meme-driven, said John Baick, a professor of history at Western New England University, who noted there’s no way to predict how the audience will react to any athlete or viral moment. In the case of Nedoroscik, he was trending before he had even gotten onto the pommel horse for his calm demeanor as he silently sat and waited, Clark Kent-style, wearing his glasses.

“In our age of memes, it is your look, it is your glasses, it is your character, and there’s no way of knowing in advance what’s going to attract people. Will people make fun of him for that? Or will people find it endearing?” Baick said. “This is where one person on Instagram can change someone’s fate. And if that one person is liked enough, and we are definitely in a meme culture, the case for a bronze medal for someone quirky is ultimately going to be worth more than a gold medal for someone in a sport no one cares about.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

DON'T MISS

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

DON'T MISS

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

DON'T MISS

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

DON'T MISS

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

DON'T MISS

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

DON'T MISS

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

DON'T MISS

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

DON'T MISS

Israeli Military Kills 20 in Gaza as Trump Awaits Hamas Reply to Truce Proposal

UP NEXT

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

UP NEXT

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

UP NEXT

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

UP NEXT

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

UP NEXT

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

UP NEXT

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

UP NEXT

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

UP NEXT

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

UP NEXT

Israeli Military Kills 20 in Gaza as Trump Awaits Hamas Reply to Truce Proposal

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Rachelle Maria Blanco

Trump Calls Musk’s Formation of New Party “Ridiculous” and Confusing

2 hours ago

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

9 hours ago

Russia Downs 120 Ukrainian Drones Overnight, Defense Ministry Says

9 hours ago

Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Talks Ahead of Netanyahu Trip to US

9 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

9 hours ago

Musk Announces Forming of ‘America Party’ in Further Break From Trump

9 hours ago

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 59, Including 21 Children

9 hours ago

California’s Politics Drifts Right While New York’s Leans Left

10 hours ago

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

1 day ago

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

1 day ago

TikTok Building New Version of App Ahead of Expected US Sale, the Information Reports

TikTok is building a new version of its app for users in the United States ahead of a planned sale of the app to a group of investors, The I...

2 hours ago

A logo is displayed over a door at the U.S. headquarters of the social media company TikTok in Culver City, California, U.S. January 17, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

TikTok Building New Version of App Ahead of Expected US Sale, the Information Reports

Boxes of aid are stacked as Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it has commenced operations to begin distribution of aid, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 26, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Hamas Government Office Rejects US Accusation of Involvement in Gaza Aid Site Attack

A volunteer searches for flood victims after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, U.S., July 6, 2025. REUTERS/Sergio Flores
2 hours ago

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 78, Trump Plans Visit

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk listens as US President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with House Republicans at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Washington, DC, U.S. on November 13, 2024. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Trump Calls Musk’s Formation of New Party “Ridiculous” and Confusing

A 22-year-old suspected DUI driver crashed into a parked CHP motorcycle and tow truck on Highway 99 near Fresno, narrowly missing an officer and bystanders, CHP said Saturday, July 5, 2025. (CHP)
9 hours ago

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

A service member of a drone unit of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo of the Ukrainian Armed Forces controls a heavy combat drone while it flies over positions of Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk Region, Ukraine June 12, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

Russia Downs 120 Ukrainian Drones Overnight, Defense Ministry Says

An Israeli tank maneuvers in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 6, 2025. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
9 hours ago

Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Talks Ahead of Netanyahu Trip to US

The Madre Fire near New Cuyama has burned nearly 80,000 acres as of Sunday, July 6, 2025, morning, prompting widespread evacuation orders and warnings across three counties. (CalFire)
9 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend