Olympics In Depth - Online cbc.ca . Every morning before training Curtis Myden, a Canadian swimmer bound for Sydney, begins his day with a bowl of Cheerios. Companies like General Mills Canada are pouring millions of dollars into athlete sponsorships to capitalize on the marketing opportunity presented by the Olympic Games. Sponsorship is red hot, especially in an Olympic year. Kevin Sullivan, Canadian 1,500m runner Greg Cyr agrees.
Some sponsors are tight-lipped about the extent of their financial support.
Nike Canada, for example, refused to comment on its athletic sponsorships. But come the Olympics, they won't have a problem with the trademark swoosh on the fronts and backs of Nike-sponsored athletes being beamed around the world, or raking in the revenue that follows in the wake of the added exposure. Corporate names and logos will be splashed across the athletes and the venues in Sydney - the Olympics are almost like a marketing convention with the athletes displaying the goods. If Sullivan wins a medal in Sydney, companies will likely be lining up with additional sponsorship and endorsement deals. For athletes who are already well-known, a gold medal just consolidates their sponsorship potential.