BEIJING, August 20, 2008 (AFP) - New Zealand 1500m runner Nick Willis believes he's been set up financially - thanks to a mix of his Beijing bronze medal and the 'terrible fashion sense' of Americans.

The fact that the United States athletes at the Games have largely submittted sub-par performances should also help the middle-distance runner who was third in Tuesday night's Olympic final.

Willis believes he will be handsomely rewarded by his present sponsors and others, and although he would not put a figure on the dollar potential he indicated it may add up to millions of dollars 'over a number of years'.

He said his cause was helped by his main sponsor Reebok not having an overly successful run up to the Games, with only four American athletes in its stable qualifying.

'Then at the Games they haven't had the greatest successes.

'For me to come through and pull out a medal in one of the key key events for them has just been huge,' he told reporters.

The US-based athlete told Television New Zealand his background and name would also prove to be valuable commodities.

'It means a lot to the shoe companies to know that here it is, a guy from the western world competing with the best Africans,' he said.

'(With a) name that people can pronounce and recognise.

'In America every single person owns a pair of running shoes because they have the terrible fashion sense to wear white sneakers and jeans.

'It means they sell a lot of shoes, and they want people that they can recognise and understand.'