Shaun White, one of few Olympians to hold endorsements (http://bit.ly/cuKt66)
The recession has assaulted the sports world, affecting everything from ticket sales to advertising deals.
Endorsements were hit particularly hard, and no one felt this more than Olympic athletes. The shortage of deals has resulted in an increasing number of Olympians picking up side jobs to keep their dreams alive.
Olympic freestyle skier Shannon Bahrke, for example, started her own company, Silver Bean Coffee, to stave off a forced retirement.
Bahrke told the Miami Herald:
We used to get a lot of money through our equipment and apparel companies, but now we’re lucky to get a pair of skis. I’ve been on the ski team for 12 years and this was the first season I had to invest my own money in the sport. It was either pay my own expenses or retire.
Unfortunately, Bahrke’s story is the norm for Winter Olympians. With the exception of snowboarder Shaun White and speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, Olympic athletes have been absent from TV commercials and print advertisements this year.
