By Adam Coppola
1:58 AM PDT, August 14, 2012
For some athletes, accomplishments don't just stop after the Olympic closing ceremony. Here are a few Olympians, past and present, who have found success through their lucrative endorsement deals.
Olympian Endorsements
Ryan Lochte
The
11 time Olympic medalist is the face of Gillette and even has successful
modeling deals with Ralph Lauren and Speedo.
Apolo Ohno
Usain Bolt
Since
he was 16, the world’s fastest man has had his own clothing line with Puma.
Other big brands that have been struck by lightning include Visa, Gatorade, and
Nissan.
Gabby Douglas
As
the first African American female to win gold in the individual all-around
gymnastics during this year’s Summer Olympics, she’s caught the attention of
Kellogg’s and Procter & Gamble.
Kristi Yamaguchi
Her
figure skating gold medal success in the 1992 Winter Olympics opened the door
to numerous endorsement opportunities with companies like GE and Kellogg’s.
Michael Phelps
Phelps’
historic success in the pool has earned him millions in endorsements from
Speedo, Omega, Visa, Nike, Rosetta Stone, Under Armour, and recently Louis
Vuitton.
Shaun White
Snowboarding
prodigy and gold medalist Shaun White can be seen in many ad campaigns from Red
Bull and Burton Snowboards to Oakley and Hewlett-Packard. He has a clothing
line at Target and even his own snowboarding video game.
Sanya Richards-Ross
Off
the track, the Jamaican born gold medalist endorses products for Nike, BMW,
Citibank, and the popular vitamin brand Nutrilite.
Bruce Jenner
The
track and field star's decathlon success during the 1976 Olympics earned him
the title of “world’s greatest athlete,” as well as a spot on Wheaties cereal
boxes for 7 years. Jenner’s athletic
achievements also brought him endorsements with Coca-Cola and Ford Motor
Company.
Michael Jordan
The
basketball legend’s long time endorsement with Nike is still remarkably popular
today. His campaigns for Hanes, Wheaties,
McDonald’s, and Gatorade have also attained commercial success.