Using Their Gold Cards : Olympic Medalists Get Set to Reel In the Deals

As the Olympic Games wind to a conclusion, medalists face a new panel of judges, this time from corporations looking for fresh champions to pitch their products.

They want medalists (preferably gold) whose feats have touched a chord with Americans, setting them apart from the pack. Medalists must embody the Olympic credo: faster, higher, stronger, braver. Plus, they’ve gotta project. So the race is on.

Among the top candidates for the endorsement circuit is Kerri Strug, the once-unknown gymnast who became a star when she bravely nailed a vault on a sprained ankle. Strug is considered a shoo-in for offers. She’s ready to take them too, having turned pro this week and hired high-powered sports agent Leigh Steinberg.

Another potential A-list candidate is Michael Johnson, the sprinter who set a world’s record in the 200 meters after capturing a gold in the 400 meters, becoming the first man to win both races in the same Olympics. Sports marketers say the intense athlete did much to ease his remote image when he draped himself in the American flag and paraded around the track before the cameras, celebrating his victory in the 200-meter race. He’s already a Nike endorser.

Sports marketers say medalists making the leap into celebrity spokesdom must act quickly because Olympic medals have a short shelf life. Sports like gymnastics are seldom seen outside the Olympics, and champions quickly fade from memory. Remaining in the public eye is a challenge for Olympians, one reason why Strug is booked on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” next week and plans to participate in a high-profile professional gymnastics tour. On Friday, she conducted an online chat with fans and a whirlwind of interviews for local television stations.

Steinberg, her agent, said Friday that Strug is weighing expressions of interest from companies ranging from auto manufacturers to breakfast cereals, besides various book and movie deals.

“We are looking to establish long-term relationships and learn from the experiences of other Olympic athletes to avoid the pitfalls of overexposure and participating in television shows or commercials beyond her reach,” he said.

For instance, swimmer Mark Spitz, who won seven of his nine medals in the 1972 games, lost his value as an endorser because he appeared everywhere. More recently, skater Nancy Kerrigan cooled as an endorsement prospect when it became apparent her charm was mostly on the ice, though Forbes magazine estimates she earned close to $4 million in 1994.

Experts cited two Olympians who have managed to make the leap from athlete to celebrity: Bruce Jenner, the 1976 decathlon champion and infomercial king, and Mary Lou Retton, 1984 gold medalist in the all-around gymnastics competition and sought-after motivational speaker. Even so, they do not rank among the top-earning athletes as compiled by Forbes, where the lowest-paid athlete listed earns $4.8 million.

The first reading on which medalists will qualify for the endorsement gold comes Sunday, when General Mills selects an Olympian for its Wheaties box. As of Friday, the list had been narrowed to 10 gold medalists and two teams. Besides Strug and Johnson, other Wheaties hopefuls are swimmers Tom Dolan and Amy Van Dyken, decathlon champ Dan O’Brien, track and field great Carl Lewis and softball slugger Dot Richardson. Sports marketers say all, except the abrasive Lewis, have a good shot at grabbing some endorsement deals.

Dolan and Van Dyken, both of whom have asthma, are thought to be perfect for products dealing with the ailment. O’Brien, as America’s new iron man, is suitable for products or services that want to emphasize strength. Richardson, a surgical resident at USC who is attractive and well-spoken, could fit with a variety of products.

Sports marketers say the Olympics also produced some letdowns on the endorsement front, among them 14-year-old gymnast Dominique Moceanu. While her autobiography, “Dominique Moceanu, An American Champion,” is on bestseller lists, sports agents don’t expect many deals for Moceanu, who won a team gold medal but none in individual competition.

Another disappointment is swimmer Janet Evans, an endorser for General Motors and Speedo. The four-time gold medalist and queen of long-distance swimming failed to win a medal in Atlanta, raising questions about her future as an endorser, despite her prominence as a torchbearer in the Games’ opening ceremonies.

Sports marketers said one of the biggest winners of the Olympics may be one of the biggest losers as far as endorsement deals are concerned. They said track and field star Lewis is unlikely to get many offers. Marketers said the public was probably turned off by the lobbying for Lewis to be placed on a relay team in order to win a record-breaking 10th gold medal.

“His personality is very cocky,” said David Burns of Burns Sports Celebrity Service. “What comes through is Carl is looking out for Carl.”

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GOING FOR THE GREEN

If marketers gave out medals to Olympians who had the best chances of cashing in after the Games, here are who the winners would be:

Gold:

Kerri Strug: The 18-year-old gymnast became a hero when she vaulted with a sprained ankle, thinking her team needed the effort to win a gold medal. She’s cute and bright. Possible drawback: She’s not Mary Lou Retton. She has a quiet personality and has never won an individual competition.

Michael Johnson: The powerful sprinter is the first man to win both the 200 (in which he set a world record) and 400 meters in the Olympics. He also electrified fans by parading with the American flag during his victory lap. He will be good for any product that has to do with speed. Possible downside: He has an aloof demeanor.

Silver:

Swimmers Tom Dolan and Amy Van Dyken, both of whom have asthma. Dolan won a gold in the 400-meter medley but failed to win medals in two other races, saying his body gave out. Amy Van Dyken anchored two relay victories and captured the individual golds in the 100-meter butterfly and the 50-meter freestyle. They are good prospects to pitch treatments for asthma or for marketers looking to inspire. Possible downside: Dolan lost more than he won. Van Dyken has a gawky charm but isn’t Janet Evans.

Bronze:

Shannon Miller: With a silver from Barcelona and an individual gold in Atlanta, the demure gymnast has more medals than anyone on the team. Possible drawback: She’s quiet, and she cried when she performed below expectations during the all-around competition.

Dan O’Brien: He’s become America’s new iron man and successor to Bruce Jenner with his victory in the decathlon. The win is a personal redemption for a man who failed to qualify for the event four years ago. Possible drawback: He doesn’t have Jenner’s ebullience.