London 2012 Olympics: International Olympic Committee launch social media platform, 'Olympic Athletes' Hub' The Hub "is the latest initiative by the IOC to make the Olympic experience more personal and interactive for fans worldwide by substantially increasing engagement between them and the athletes," said an IOC spokesman. It is a "searchable directory of Olympians that provides posts from their Facebook and Twitter accounts and other information designed to connect people with their favourite athletes." So, aside from an aggregated feed, what does the Hub offer that neither Facebook nor Twitter can provide? By way of an incentive users are encouraged to interact with the site and connect with their personal Facebook and Twitter sites. The spokesman explained: "Fans can unlock secret training tips from Olympic legends, including Nadia Comaneci, Edwin Moses, Mark Spitz , Yelena Isinbayeva and Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. The more athletes users 'like' on Facebook or follow on Twitter through the site, the more points they receive, accumulating prizes such as virtual gold, silver and bronze medals from past Olympic Games in the process. Further, during the London Games, a special section will be launched on the Hub where users can view in real time what the athletes competing at the Games are saying on social media sites. "Another interesting thing that might come out of the hub is that Olympic Athletes will be able to connect not only with their fans but with each other before, during and after the Games are over, if they so desire," Huot, speaking to tech website Mashable, said. The Olympic Games have at its heart the athletes. The hub also has the athletes at its heart. We want the hub to be a platform which can inspire athletes and fans to share the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence through their everyday stories.