Olympic Heroes In Line To Make Millions

Britain's gold medallists are set to make a fortune after the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The women in particular could see their earnings through sponsorship deals rise substantially given there is no competition from any other major sporting figures - unlike the men who will have to compete with the likes of David Beckham for the big deals.

Gold medal-winning heptathlete Jessica Ennis, the poster girl for the Games, is likely to make the most.

She told Sky News being an inspiration to people is very important to her.

"It's not just athletics - it's across the whole different sports we have here and hopefully it's inspiring lots of kids to get involved.

"Whether it's going down to their track or their swimming pool, hopefully, they'll be the future champions."

Ennis already has lucrative contracts with several major brands and more are set to follow with her earnings rocketing to between and £2m and 3m in the next year.

It is being predicted Mo Farah will make between £750,000 to £1.5m and Bradley Wiggins could rake in as much as £2m following the Games.

Clifford Bloxham, the head of Octagon UK's Athletes and Personalities Division, said the amount of money athletes make will depend on a number of factors including more than a little bit of luck.

"This is going to be a Games like no other for British athletes in terms of their commercial opportunities going forward," he said.

"How much they can make depends very much on them and the story behind them because it's the story that's interesting. Why are they popular? Why do people like them? How did they win? Did they win in a brave, graceful way? Did they win in a way that the public wanted to see them win?"

As well as sponsorship deals, a handful of the women in particular will transcend sport and become cover girls, such is their new found fame and the fact that sport now sells.

Natasha McNamara, editor of GLAMOUR.com, told Sky News sportswomen like Ennis are appealing to their readers for a host of different reasons, not least their amazing bodies.

"I think we're really seeing the dawn of the new celebrity here," she said.

"These are talented and inspirational women who are sending out powerful and positive messages to a whole new generation of women.

"They're ambitious, determined and they work physically and mentally to achieve their ambitions, not to mention their incredible abs."