American sprint legend Michael Johnson has thrown a challenge to Olympic gold medallists to find out how they can maintain their fame after the Olympic Games are now over.
The four-time Olympic gold medallist acknowledged the fact that after the Olympic Games, the gold medallists are usually given attention which does not last for long. It becomes the responsibility of the athletes to maintain their fame and capitalize on that until the next major events.
He posed a question to the gold medallists and track and field fans, to find out how they can manage their fame after the conclusion of the Paris Olympic Games.
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“Track Olympic gold medalists receiving mainstream superstar attention in the weeks following the Olympic Games. Historically it doesn’t last. What can they do to sustain it?” the American asked.
Following the conclusion of the Paris Olympic Games, gold medallists, mostly from the U.S. including Gabby Thomas and Noah Lyles made a lot of media interviews but after the series of interviews, they have gone undercover and the popularity is slowly dying down.
Commenting on his post shared on X, some fans offered insights on how athletes can maintain their popularity.
“Their races outside the Olympics need to be more accessible…that would help,” one fan wrote.
“Not race track! Haha, kind of joking but to truly be mainstream getting on shows like Dancing With the Stars or Survivor or any other non-endemic media opportunity is huge!” another added.
“Marketing and PR teams. The athletes need to push to be on every podcast and show for months/years,” another shared.
“Content is key…Is there a regular highlight show on a decent network at a decent time? How do you stay engaged with a product if there’s no content distribution?” a fan shared.
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“I’m not sure you can sustain this level of interest unless you’re a Usain Bolt or Michael Johnson. I’d like to see Olympians given a higher profile in schools, with live appearances to present great role models to children,” a fan added.