Social media impacting Olympic games

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - More and more athletes are embracing social media making it even easier to follow those competing in the London Olympic games.

Between Facebook, Twitter, and even blogging there'll be no shortage of ways fans can follow their favorite Olympians.

Grand Valley alum Sarah Zelenka said she just recently joined social media and has already received around 75 to 100 Facebook friend requests.

"I'm not totally into the social media," said Zelenka. "I got a Twitter...like last week."

But she's not the only one who will be spending more time updating her status and tweeting her Olympic experiences from London.

"My family call me the tweet queen because I'm always on Twitter...tweeting to my fans," said Sanya Richards-Ross.

Unlike Zelenka, two-time Olympic gold medalist Sanya embraced social media a long time ago. She already has nearly 25,000 followers on Twitter and she almost has 40,000 'likes' on Facebook.

"I think social media has totally changed the game in sports...especially in track and field," said Richards-Ross. "It definitely gives us an outlet to reach out to fans."

Reaching out to fans is the focus of the International Olympic Committee at the London Games.

A couple of months ago, the committee launched an online athletes headquarters to serve as a social media platform.

All through the games, athletes posts on Facebook and Twitter will be posted on the website for the world to read bringing fans closer to the athletes during the games than ever before.