As the Olympics race on, it's time to place your side bets on which athletes will hang on to their celebrity status after coming down from the podium.

Slopestyler Sage Kotsenburg, who won the first gold medal of these games, is a sure thing, at least for awhile. No sooner did they begin playing the national anthem in his honor than he had a cocktail named after him for sale back home in Park City, Utah. Who can't enjoy a snowy version of Jeff Spicoli?

Freeskier triple winners Joss Christensen (gold), Gus Kenworthy (silver) and Nick Goepper (bronze) are so adorable they could be a boy band.

And who doesn't want to see more of the entertaining skater Jason Brown?

This is the week that will be all about determining who will be this year's Winter Olympics sweetheart, with the ladies' figure skating competition in full swing. The blond brigade from the USA will be closely watched, without doubt. If — as predicted — sexy 22-year-old Ashley Wagner, or energetically charming 18-year-old Gracie Gold, or lovely Polina Edmunds wind up on the medals stand, you can expect to see a lot more of them on your screens and in your 'zines. Wagner is already a CoverGirl spokesmodel with oodles of other endorsements.

It's been a tough Olympics for a collection of past favorites. Shaun White, who walked into Sochi looking like a movie star, failed to repeat his victories of competitions past. Injury made Lindsey Vonn a no-show. Their falling trajectories, and others, make Apolo Anton Ohno's decision to retire last year seem all the more wise.

Commentating for NBC, the short track speed skating great is still the most decorated American Winter Olympics champ of all time with eight medals — and he's proven to be highly watchable as a celebrity and commercial pitchman. He won on "Dancing With the Stars." He hosts GSN's edition of "Minute to Win It." He appeared on "I Get That a Lot" and other shows — and sold tons of Oreo cookies, Vicks Nyquil, McDonald's burgers and Cokes.

Olympians have certainly found a haven in "DWTS." Kristi Yamaguci, Misty Mae Treanor, Louie Vito, Evan Lysacek and Hope Solo are among those who also freshened up their fame with turns on the popular ABC show — as did Olympians-turned-boxers Sugar Ray Leonard and Floyd Mayweather.

Many Olympic faves return to the cameras as commentators, and do commendably. This year, figure skating stars Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski are being singled out by fans as a surprisingly delightful as well as insightful duo — with Weir getting extra points for not toning down his fabulous wardrobe, complete with pink Chanel jacket and strands of beads. Weir will be an even bigger star now than when he first broke out as a celebrity and did his Sundance Channel show, "Be Good Johnny Weir."

The alchemy that turns some Olympians into celebrities while others return to the ranks of the relatively unknown requires a blend of ingredients. In Weir's case, he not only brings an original persona, talent and wit to the table, but arrives at a moment in history — following the anti-gay laws that recently went into effect in Russia (homeland of his husband's family) — that makes his boldness breathtaking.

Attractive looks certainly help athletes hold on to fame. More attention is being paid this year to the inequity in that regard between male and female athletes. Can women get endorsements and attention without looking pretty or sexy? You know the answer.

Of course, a certain level of charisma is required to make celebrity last. There've been plenty of Olympic heroes whose brilliance as athletes just didn't transfer into other realms.

Seven-gold-medal-winning '70s swimmer Mark Spitz came off stiff, to say the least, in post-Olympics appearances. Watching a comedy sketch with Bob Hope in which Spitz played a dentist was the TV answer to having your teeth drilled. Very uncomfortable, with the deep fear that at any second, it could erupt into shrieking pain. Spitz was far easier to watch by the London Olympics.

Olympians have fared far less well with acting than with other sorts of public appearances. "Tarzan" Johnny Weissmuller and ice skating great Sonja Henie are the two biggest movie star names that began with Olympic glory — and that was way back in another century. Before he became a criminal, O.J. Simpson appeared in the "Naked Gun" movies, "Capricorn One" and the miniseries "Roots." He was never much of an actor, but David and Jerry Zucker figured out how to use him effectively within their "Naked" shenanigans.

Reality TV is a much more welcoming sphere, luckily for today's Olympians. Case in point: Decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner's movie career is exemplified by the awful big screen bomb "Can't Stop the Music" — but we all know the career gold he mined after becoming known as patriarch of the Kardashian clan.