According to analytics company SnapRapid, which is based in London, Britain's athletes boasted a "strong presence" on social media during Rio 2016.

SnapRapid conducted a study during the Games and their findings claim 11 of the world's top 30 ranked athletes in their results were from Britain.

Russell Glenister, the founder and chief executive of SnapRapid, believes the strength of their social connectivity will boost their earnings potential through sponsorship and endorsement deals.

"Brands will continue to look for successful athletes to sponsor their products and act as ambassadors," said Glenister.

"But the success of Great Britain in Rio means there are more successful athletes to choose from than ever.

"With social media becoming an ever more important environment for communication and shaping opinions, those athletes with the strongest social media connectivity will be in the best position.

"That does not necessarily mean those with the most followers but those who have the most positive sentiment and strongest positive links to sporting concepts."

The study of more than 35 million social media posts during the Games identified not only the number of times which individual athletes featured in relevant posts, but the context, sentiment and strength of links to the Games directly.

Show jumper Nick Skelton, who won a gold medal on Big Star at the age of 58, was the leading British competitor in the index, which was topped overall by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

Diver Tom Daley was the second British athlete featured.

Daley, who won 10 metres synchronised platform bronze with Dan Goodfellow, finished narrowly ahead of gold medal winners Andy Murray, Alistair Brownlee and Mo Farah.

Others to make the top 30 were cyclists Laura Trott and her husband Jason Kenny, taewkondo player Jade Jones, swimmer Adam Peaty, boxer Nicola Adams and gymnast Max Whitlock.