Dr. Jana Wiske
Professor of sport journalism and public relations at the Ansbach University of Applied Sciences, Germany. Prior to this she worked as a sports journalist for kicker-sportmagazin for 15 years, covering a range of events including the Olympics. She continues to work as freelance writer and advises in crisis communication and personal branding in sports.
Email: j.wiske@hs-ansbach.de
When US swimmer Regan Smith competed at the start of the Olympic events, she always sported pink mittens along with a down jacket. This was the trademark of the Paris 2024 medley relay gold medalist. This distinctive feature was not only visually striking but was also mentioned in all media coverage about Smith. Luana Alonso from Paraguay created a stir before the 2024 Olympics with an intimate tattoo, though she couldn’t match the world-class performance in the pool. She was eliminated in the heats of the 100-meter butterfly. Despite this, Alonso received extreme attention thanks to the Olympic rings tattooed on a delicate part of her body. The 100-meter Olympic champion Noah Lyles from the USA is known not only for his athletic prowess but also for his flamboyant appearances and his brightly painted fingernails.
At the 2024 Olympics, the media once again served as a stage for personal brands that provided orientation in a complex sports world. Visual identifiers or orchestrations created peaks, enhanced visibility, and helped focus attention on the core of a brand.
Florence Griffith-Joyner used the media as a stage in the 1980s. Even without the support of social media channels back then, her extraordinary fingernails remained in viewers’ minds. Anyone searching for her name today will find “nails” or “fingernails” among the top associations. The American athlete had already recognized the potential of this stage at that time, complementing the colorful image with extraordinary outfits.
Super sprinter Usain Bolt established the media image of an archer shooting an arrow into the sky over the years. After winning races, the Jamaican would regularly kneel to show his ritual. Once again, the pose is associated with athletic success. The “To Di World” pose was and still is Bolt’s unmistakable mark.
At the 2024 Olympic Games, the stage belonged to characters like the aforementioned Noah Lyles or US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson. The 100-meter silver medalist from Paris stood out not only with her impressive long fingernails but also her extraordinary gestures towards the sky before and after races, setting her apart from her competitors.
Top-level sports are ideal as a stepping stone for personal brands since they embody attributes like activity, health, performance, and youthfulness. Through social media, athletes can set many thematic priorities of their own – which are often picked up by the media themselves.
The influence of social media on media coverage is clearly demonstrated in the case of German athlete Alica Schmidt. Despite her lack of significant athletic success at these Olympics, German TV broadcasts focused on Schmidt, and events featuring her were often shown – even though world-class performances were not expected. Why is that? Schmidt is considered the glamour girl of athletics and was dubbed the “World’s sexiest athlete” by the British tabloid The Sun. The athlete now has over five million followers on Instagram. Her photos suggest more of a model than an athlete behind the account.
Marketing their fame is a crucial motive for athletes to maintain a presence on social media. In conjunction with traditional media, which often use athletes’ posts and messages as sources, this can generate more attention and support images in traditional media or even trigger them. Traditional media, in turn, benefit from the existing online fame, which now spills over and also attracts attention on conventional media channels.
Schmidt’s personal brand is defined by beauty, femininity, and perfect body shape – less by competition, performance, or will to win. However, without outstanding athletic performance, athletes risk being reduced to appearances. For Alica Schmidt, once again in Paris 2024, the core competence of sport took a back seat.
Other protagonists of the 2024 Olympic Games have managed better in the competitions. Swimmer Smith and sprinters Lyles and Richardson won medals. Their personal branding additionally helped highlight their relevance, create recognition value, and thus permanently capture the audience’s attention.
Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina is also on a sustainable path to attention since the 2024 Olympics. Not only did he catch a perfect wave during the competitions, but he also knew how to present himself in the media afterward. His jubilant celebration after a spectacular ride in the quarterfinals was captured in an iconic photo by photographer Jerome Brouillet, featuring a finger point and parallel surfboard in the air. The image went around the world. Medina finished the competition in Tahiti with bronze – and will likely be forever associated with this photo. Since this summer, it has become an important piece of his personal brand, creating significant recognition value.
