Olympic runner Nick Symmonds is auctioning off ad space on his shoulder
Nick Symmonds is a two-time Olympian and 800-meter record-holder, and currently, nine square inches of the skin on his right shoulder is up for auction on eBay as ad space. The space is available for the remainder of the 2016 indoor season, and, should Symmonds qualify, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Symmonds' left shoulder will advertise his own company, Run Gum.
This isn't the first time Symmonds has done this. Ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, that same shoulder space fetched $11,000, going to Milwaukee ad agency Hanson Dodge Creative, though Symmonds was forced to cover the resulting temporary tattoo with white tape, ultimately bringing more attention to his cause.
A cause that Symmonds has championed for quite some time now and made fairly clear in his recent eBay listing:
Basically, track and field's governing bodies place stringent regulations on sponsorhip and severly limit the average runner's ability to market themselves. This is a salient issue because track and field remains a purely amateur sport with no professional association or stable stream of income to speak of. With the exception of a few galactic superstars, runners are on their own when it comes to reeling in sponsorships.
Symmonds has been fighting these limitations for years and recently filed an anti-trust suit against the USOC and the USATF for not allowing Run Gum's logo on uniforms at last July's Olympic trials. The USOC filed to have the suit dismissed.
At the time of publishing, Symmonds' deltoid has gotten 67 bids, and sits at a price of $5,100.
(H/T Sports Illustrated)
