Usain Bolt Looks To Boost Track, Become Marketing Superstar
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Some Predict That Bolt Could Earn Appearance
Fees Up To $200,000, Double Most Other Stars |
Jamaica Gold Medal-winning sprinter Usain Bolt wants to "revitalize track, a sport experiencing international decline," while also hoping to become the "first track star to earn $10[M] a year in prize money, appearance fees and endorsements" before the '12 London Games, according to Jere Longman of the N.Y. TIMES. Pace Sports Management's Ricky Simms, Bolt's agent, said of his client, "David Beckham, Tiger Woods, he's got to look at that being his target." But to achieve that stardom, Bolt "will surely have to continue to win and set records, while avoiding injury and complacency and remaining free of the taint of doping." Longman noted Bolt is track's "only megawatt drawing power," and as a result, agents and meet promoters predict that he "will command appearance fees of up to $200,000 for races, double what other top stars earn." Bolt has a sponsorship deal with Puma, which pays him about $1.5M annually, as well as deals with Gatorade and Caribbean mobile phone company Digicel, which "could put Bolt's 2009 income above" $3M. However, the Jamaica-born Bolt is not from the U.S. -- where "many Olympic sponsors have their headquarters" -- and he "came into greatness on the precipice of a worldwide recession." It is uncertain whether he will realize his vision of "licensing his image for video games, action figures and cereal boxes." Meanwhile, Bolt, who travels with two police officers to "control overzealous fans," said that he "understands that he will now come under far greater scrutiny." Bolt said of U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps' bong photo, "That was stupid. You've got to know who you are and how famous and what you mean in the country" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/12).
SPEAKING TOO SOON? In London, Brendan Gallagher reports Bolt has apologized "over his comments on youthful marijuana use" in Sunday's issue of German newspaper Bild. Bolt in a statement said, "I want to apologise to the Jamaican people if at anytime it may have come across that all young people roll a joint." Bolt in the article admitted trying marijuana as a child, and he was quoted by Bild as saying, "When you're a child in Jamaica, you learn how to roll a joint." Bolt in the statement indicated he has "never used [marijuana] as a competitor" (London TELEGRAPH, 4/14).
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