Quest for gold won't end with Olympics

By Bruce Horovitz

USA TODAY

For most Olympians, the most lucrative gigs after the Athens Games won't be endorsing burger joints or bottled water.

It will be giving speeches.

Corporate America will pay Olympic athletes and personalities $2,500 to $60,000 for speeches. Just one or two a month can earn an Olympic athlete an income few Americans can match.

Unlike with product endorsements, it isn't always a gold medal that sways a corporate booking agent. Even more critical is the story behind the Olympian.

Companies like the glow of medals, but also covet Olympians who clear exemplified teamwork. They like veteran Olympic experts, past stars or even broadcasters, who can pontificate on the Games' emotional whirlwind. And companies particularly like athletes who overcame adversity - whose heroic tales can motivate a sales force.

``Fascination with the Olympics is no longer just with the gold medal,'' says Marc Reede, president of Nationwide Speakers Bureau. ``It's also with tales behind the Olympians. You can find hidden gold in (their) life stories.''

The interest in booking Olympic athletes and experts tends to peak shortly after each Games. ``We're already getting the calls,'' says Reede, who estimates his company's requests for Olympians will more than double over the next several months.

Reede says executives particularly crave the meet-and-greet sessions that typically follow the speeches, where they can get an autograph and get a suitable-for-framing photo shot of them with an Olympic icon, such as Michael Phelps or Carly Patterson.

With a handful of days remaining in Athens, there still could be twists and turns. But these are athletes and personalities corporate speaking experts say are most likely to benefit from the 2004 Games.