Usain Bolt has emerged as a media favourite following the close of one of the most talked about Olympics Games in recent history.  

The Dow Jones Insight-Olympics Media Pulse, which provides a high-level view of a competitive media landscape and demonstrates how athletes are covered in the media and how that coverage changes over time, reported that between August 26 and September 8, Michael Phelps was the most mentioned athlete in social media (blogs and boards) and an emerging celebrity with his first non-sports related appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

However, triple gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica gained the lead in traditional media sources.

The top six in each category is presented below.

Social Media Presence:

1. Of the 7,907 total mentions in social media sources, Phelps had 4,620, or 58 percent, of the top 10 athletes tracked. Much of this coverage concerned
Phelps' appearances after the Games -- including his stint as a presenter at the MTV Video Music Awards -- and confirms his arrival as a full-fledged
celebrity.

2. In a distant second to Phelps in social media sources was Bolt, who had 1,183 mentions, for 15 percent.

3. U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson, who won a silver medal in the women's all-around competition, followed Bolt with 501 mentions, for 6 percent.

4. Her teammate Nastia Liukin, who won the all-around gold medal, andbeach volleyball gold medalist Misty May-Treanor each had 5 percent of mentions.

5. U.S. swimmer Dara Torres, who made history when she made the team at the age of 41, had 231 mentions, for 3 percent.

6. Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm and British cyclist Chris Hoy each had 2 percent of mentions. Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang,
whose withdrawal due to injury led to a national outpouring of disappointment, rounded out the top 10 with 109 mentions, for 1 percent.

Traditional Media Presence: Phelps and Bolt swapped positions in traditional media sources (print and online).

1. Of the 11,277 total mentions in traditional media sources, Bolt had 3,863, for 34 percent.

2. Phelps was a close second with 3,496 mentions, for 31 percent.

3. Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell was third, with 829 mentions, for 7 percent.

4. Hoy had 690 mentions, for 6 percent.

5. Liukin, May and British swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who won two gold medals, each had 4 percent of mentions.

6. Torres, Johnson and American sprinter Tyson Gay, who failed to qualify for the finals of the men's 100 meters, rounded out the top 10 with 3 percent
of mentions each.

For the track afficionados, Bolt has been a star for years.  But for the majority of the world, he has just "bolted" into primetime and it's left to be seen if major advertisers will try to capitalize on his new found fame.