With Italy's Marcell Jacobs claiming a stunning victory in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics' 100 metres final on August 1, it is expected that major brands will now be chasing him to sign a contract.
Jacobs is the first Italian to take the most coveted title in athletics, who emerged victorious with a huge European record of 9.80 seconds. It is the first time since Athens 2004 that a new men’s 100-m Olympic champion is crowned following the retirement of Jamaican legend Usain Bolt. He is also the first 100 metres men's winner since 2008 in Olympics.
Jamaica's 'Lightening' Bolt -- the eight-time Olympic gold medallist -- is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100-m and 200-m titles at three consecutive Olympics -- 2008, 2012 and 2016.
Following his clinching of gold medals in Olympics in the at 100-metres final and 200-metres race at 2008 Beijing Olympics, brands chased Jamaica's sprinter Usain Bolt to sign a contract with them.
The Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt first signed a sponsorship deal with Puma, following the victory in the 2002 World Junior Championships in the 200 m title in Kingston. Puma also signed a $10 million contract with Usain Bolt in 2013.
Bolt’s only sponsors at Beijing Olympics 2008 were Puma and Jamaican mobile phone company Digicel. But after his historic performance, Gatorade, Hublot and Virgin Media quickly snapped up the world’s fastest man, according Forbes.com
Visa inked him to a deal and used him in ad campaigns extensively in Europe post 2008. Apart from this, Bolt even has his own character in the Temple Run gaming franchise, which has been downloaded more than one billion times.
In 2016, when leading up to the Rio Olympics, Bolt signed deals at the beginning of the year with Japan’s All Nippon Airways and Australian telecom company Optus.
His total of $31 million prize winnings and sponsorship deals positioned him on the 45th spot in the highest paid athletes in 2018, where he earned a whopping $30 million from sponsorships alone.
Question remains, will brands chase Jacobs like they did with Usain Bolt! Let's wait and watch.
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