"Got to understand it’s a partnership, it’s not a one-way thing" - Colin Jackson on athletes getting sponsorships
Former hurdler and Olympic medalist Colin Jackson recently spoke about sponsorships and how athletes should perceive them.
Sponsorships are often a huge talking point and several athletes have partnerships with notable brands. Jackson was asked exclusively by Sportskeeda if having a strong personality was crucial for sponsorship.
The Welshman replied that it was a requirement because sponsorship is not a one-way thing. He said that if an athlete lacked performance but had other things, that could also make them an asset for sponsors.
"Yeah, I think it is because sponsorship in itself is not a one-way thing. You, as an athlete, your sole responsibility is to perform, that’s your job. So make sure you work hard, make sure you train, and make sure you perform. If you’re lacking that, [but] you have another one or two things that sponsors love to leverage, then great, that’s fantastic, that makes you even more attractive to sponsors," Jackson said.
The Welshman added that while getting sponsorships was important for athletes, they also needed to understand that it was a partnership that could lead to a long-term relationship.
"So, I think it’s really important for athletes to get their sponsorships. I also think they got to understand it’s a partnership, it’s not a one-way thing, because that partnership could lead to a long-term relationship, and everybody wants to have a long-term relationship," the 56-year-old said.
"So, if you stay with your people who are surfacing you now in the world of sport, and you do good things, they will keep you. Why will they not? You are still a good ambassador for them," he added.
Colin Jackson won five World Championships medals
Colin Jackson enjoyed a successful career as a hurdler, as part of which he won an Olympic medal and five World Championships medals.
The Welshman's Olympic medal came in Seoul 1988 where he finished as the runner-up in the 110m hurdles. He won two golds at the World Championships, in 1993 and 1999. Jackson won four medals in the Commonwealth Games, two of which were gold, in 1990 and 1994.
He retired from athletics in 2003, with that year's World Indoor Championships being his swansong. Jackson competed in the 60m hurdles but was unable to win a medal as he finished fifth, clocking 7.61 seconds in the final.