Steph Rice: Aussie stars vanishing during Olympics is a ‘missed opportunity’ of a lifetime

Some of Australia’s athletes are going dark during the Olympics but they might be missing the chance of a lifetime, writes Steph Rice.

To stay on or off social media in Paris, that is the question.

The swimming events at the Paris Olympics are in full swing, with Australia already claiming four golds, three silvers and a bronze.

Amid the excitement, it’s been interesting to see the different approaches athletes are taking with social media.

Some are choosing to disconnect entirely, going completely offline until their races are complete, while others continue to engage and share their experiences, allowing us as viewers to feel a part of their journey.

Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan and Elijah Winnington told their followers they would delete Instagram for the duration of their events so they can focus on racing without distraction.

They are getting their friends or team officials to upload posts for them after they win medals, and have said they will get the chance to reply to messages from fans after their competition is over.

Other athletes are staying very active on social media during the Games.

Swimmer Shayna Jack is keeping her fans up to date with her program, water polo player Tilly Kearns is posting up a storm on TikTok and Aussie hero Jess Fox is giving her 230,000 Instagram followers a wonderful insight into her Olympics experience.

American rugby seven’s player Ilona Maher is one of the social media stars of the Olympics — she won a bronze medal and is giving her 1.9 million followers a brilliant mix of content.

Jess Fox is sharing her Olympic experience on social media.

The Terminator is laser focused on her events. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

In today’s hyper-connected world, I genuinely believe athletes should take full advantage of their social media accounts during the Games.

It’s such a crucial time with fans buzzing with excitement, eagerly searching for athletes’ personal pages to pour out their support.

Social media also gives athletes the chance to share their own experiences and emotions directly, rather than leaving it to news stories, that might not always capture what’s really going on.

Going offline completely at the height of your career is a major missed opportunity,especially if you’re fortunate enough to be an athlete commanding peak public interest and

support. Missing that moment is a significant loss, and one that you won’t get back.

Furthermore, social media plays a crucial role in many athletes’ livelihoods.

For top swimmers, brand endorsements and advertising deals significantly contribute to their income, often surpassing their professional swimming contracts.

These deals not only support their current careers but also pave the way for life after sports and brands are looking for engagement, for fans, for potential customers.

To give you an example of the impact this time can have, when Ariarne Titmus posted a general swimming photo during her preparations for the Olympics, she got around 10,000 likes. Her posts during the Olympics are getting over 100,000 likes, that’s 10 times the engagement.

Ariarne Titmus has gone offline to focus on her racing. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)

Arnie and Mollie want to focus on their racing. Photo: Adam Head

Therefore, going offline during such a pivotal moment, and not leveraging the value you can generate during this time will have a sizeable impact on their current and future earnings in my opinion.

That said, I completely understand why athletes need to minimise distractions to focus on peak performance.

I’ve heard from athletes who felt overwhelmed by comments and messages during the Games, believing it impacted their performance.

Swimmers train twice a day, almost every day, for years, just for a single two-minute race, and with so many factors that can affect performance at an Olympics, turning off social media is an easy way to eliminate one potential distraction.

Ultimately, if you don’t perform well, brand deals and public attention won’t matter much, so for some, stepping away from social media is the best way to concentrate on their race preparations during such a demanding and emotionally intense week.

Tilly Kearns is giving fans a look inside the Olympic village. Photo: Instagram.

The USA’s IIona Maher might be the social media star of the Olympics. Photo: Instagram.

If I were competing today, I would definitely keep my social media active during the Games to capitalise on the moment and the impact it would have both during and after the Olympics.

However, to stay focused during my races, I’d delegate the responsibility of posting to a trusted person, like a family member or business manager who can act on my behalf.

They could share behind-the-scenes content, race day photos, and updates about how I’m feeling on my behalf, allowing fans to be a part of the journey, while I keep my mind focused and emotions stable.

I’ve noticed that some savvy athletes have adopted this approach, along with pre-loading sponsor content or behind-the-scenes photos into scheduling apps.

Jess Fox is taking her followers along for the ride. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Aussie Olympic great Stephanie Rice said she would use social media if still competing now. Pic: Supplied

These apps automatically post the content at set times, allowing athletes to maintain their online presence without getting caught up in the daily management and emotional volatility that cam come from social media.

The reality is, once the Games are over, public attention shifts to other sports and stories, and the opportunity to harness the full power of social media during this peak period is lost.

Therefore, I strongly recommend that athletes do use social media during the Olympics but manage it wisely by creating a strategy that supports their performance.

This will help athletes make the most of this incredible time and opportunity, building a strong online presence that will likely generate opportunities for them well into the future.

Stephanie Rice is a three-time Olympic gold medallist and a member of both the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the Sports Australia Hall of Fame. She is writing exclusively for news.com.au during the Paris Olympics.

Originally published as Steph Rice: Aussie stars vanishing during Olympics is a ‘missed opportunity’ of a lifetime