The most underrated skill at the Olympics?

The most underrated part of training for the Olympics is public speaking and media relations. It’s a learned skill. One that you have to practice over and over again to protect your most important asset – your reputation.

We’ve all seen it before. An athlete has an epic win or an epic loss – and then comes the press conference where they can make or break the moment. Dreaded or beloved, it’s a part of the job. It’s an opportunity to see someone’s true colours in defeat and in victory. It is especially important these days with brand partnerships, social media, and news travelling faster than ever.

Sponsorships, endorsements, fans, interviews and access…they are all intertwined. Sports is a business. Every athlete is a business.

I do not subscribe to the belief that all press is good press. If you have a big blunder, your endorsement(s) can evaporate faster than you can say ‘what just happened?!’. Many contracts contain morality clauses for this very reason.

Athletes need ongoing media training and public speaking coaching. With so much on the line, this should be a bigger focus for athletes.

They are a personal brand, even if they’re on a team sport. If they’re on a team, it also reflects on their team’s brand and public image. In the Olympics, your words also reflect on your home country. Not a small thing.