In Olympic events of the past, the closest we could get to our favorite athletes were the photos on our Wheaties boxes. These days, the world’s athletic heros are far more accessible, thanks mostly to the new Olympic Athletes’ Hub.
The site serves as an aggregator for the verified social feeds of over 1,000 current and former Olympians from all over the world. Creators of the hub sought to connect not only fans with athletes, but also athletes with teammates and competitors as a way to build meaningful relationships.
The Athletes Hub offeres an easy way to find athletes’ real accounts all in one place. Users can even communicate directly with athletes, hopefully building their followership and brands in the process.
The hub’s top followers probably don’t need much help in the follower department (LeBron has a whopping 14,000,000-plus fans), but the site is a great way for lesser-known athletes to build their brand.
There’s also a fun gamification element to encourage fan engagement. The more athletes a user follows or likes, the more site access they will gain. Site perks include exclusive training videos and tips, as well as online chats with athletes.
Olympic organizers are calling the London games “the world’s first social olympics,” and the social hub is sure to pave the way.
