Can Olympians bank their gold after the Games?

By Belinda Goldsmith

BEIJING (Reuters) - Olympic heroes Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt are set to make their fortunes after Beijing but spare a thought for the winners of the other 293 gold medals.

Marketing experts only expect a handful of athletes from Beijing to be able to turn that coveted gold medal into an income for life -- and, like it or not, looks counts.

U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin, 18, who was crowned all-round champion in China, and her coach-father, 1988 Soviet Olympic gold-medalist Valery Liukin, see her fame funding her for good.

"This is the time. At the end of the day it's not just about hard work but she needs to ensure she can enjoy the rest of her life," her father told Reuters as the publicity machine began.

Liukin's agent Evan Morgenstein, of Premier Management Group, said the gymnast had all the factors to turn her from a top sportswoman into a celebrity -- looks, personality, and a good story with her famous father and overcoming injuries to succeed.

"She's a girly girl and perceived as America's sweetheart ... so her future is cemented by what she had accomplished and how she is perceived," said Morgenstein at an event organized by Visa, one of Liukin's 15 sponsors.

"Not everybody has the story, not everybody has all the elements ... companies are calling up for her to do modeling."

But he said despite record TV viewings for the Beijing Olympics internationally, he did not expect more sporting celebrities to emerge from Beijing than from other Games.

"What you are going to see is the people who hit are going to be explosive," he said. "There will be more small opportunities for a lot more people but not in terms of the upper end."

Many national teams are taking home an athlete who has done them proud but it remains to be seen if that pride lasts once the spotlight moves from Beijing to the next sports season.

Four years is a long time between Olympics.

"Only a very few will make it. They will do so by being great in the next few years, working in the media," said Peter Walshe, global brands director at marketing researcher Millward Brown.

OLYMPIC PAYBACK

Some Olympians are paid by their government but their main income is via sponsorships, endorsements, and sometimes prizes.

"These athletes need to have an additional hook, a story, pursuit, or career that transcends their Olympic glory," said David Clarke, from the USC's Sports Business Institute.  Continued...