Matthew Mitcham Gets His Face On A Stamp

Two weeks after shocking the diving world by winning the gold medal in Olympic platform diving, Australian Matthew Mitcham has been honored with a stamp but has yet to secure a sponsorship deal, though one is rumored.

Mitcham, as is every Aussie gold medal winner, will receive $17,400 for allowing use of his image on Olympic stamps issued by Australia Post. Mitcham, 20, will also earn another $17,400 in a bonus paid by Adidas.

So far, though, Mitcham, who won the gold medal with a dazzling final dive Aug. 23, has yet to get the kind of sponsorship deals that have gone to Australian athletes like swimmer Stephanie Rice. As the Sydney Morning Herald reports:

Channel Seven’s deal with Rice is worth $700,000 alone. While some would argue a case of Rice-induced indigestion resulting from the swimmer’s overexposure, corporate demand for Mitcham has not caught up with his enormous popularity and is in danger of flatlining for the diver.

Just like Rice, Mitcham looks like a sponsor’s dream: an Olympic gold medal, undeniably articulate and good looking.