Puma must certainly be hoping for its sales to go up another notch if the 'Lightning' Bolt wins the men's 200-metre final in Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium this morning.

The German manufacturer's sneaker sales were reported by the Financial Times to have increased by more than two million pairs just one hour after the world's fastest man held up his Theseus II spikes before the flashing cameras after his perfect run.

Even Puma's lone store in Jamaica, at Tropical Plaza in St Andrew, has seen increased interest since Bolt's 100-metre championship run on Saturday.

"There definitely has been an increase in awareness," said store manager Margaux Brown. "A lot more people are coming in, a lot more people are calling us. I even received a call from a lady in England a while ago."

The interest in the store's products has not yet translated into sales though. Brown surmises that this might be so because its Jamaica line is always available at its store, compared to other locations abroad.

"Right now I'm a little overwhelmed with customers," Brown said as she spoke to The Gleaner yesterday.

Worth the wait

Puma's investment might well have been worth the wait. The sports gear manufacturer has been a long-time sponsor of Jamaican athletes, claiming among its first, Jamaica's sprint queen Merlene Ottey and double silver medallist Juliet Cuthbert in the 1990s. It has, however, only been a sponsor of the Jamaican track team since 2002.

Puma arrived in Beijing nowhere near rivals Nike and Adidas in terms of market value and sales, according to the Financial Times, trailing in the number of Olympic athletes contracted to wear its apparel, and behind in the race for a share of the lucrative Chinese market.

But Puma came out the star in the most anticipated showdown in the Olympics, and probably the most watched sporting event this year, when the Puma-clad Bolt defeated Nike-signed Asafa Powell. World champion Tyson Gay, signed to Adidas, failed to make it to the final.

Brown is hoping the new interest in its products locally will translate into sales.

"We definitely are looking for a bigger boost after tomorrow," Brown said.