Maybe I missed where he tagged Nike? I honestly have no idea what his contract is but I’m guessing you don’t either otherwise you’d provide some context for your phenomenal logic leap.
He could feel like he’d been getting low balled by meets now hoping to get him to show up for rates they wouldn’t pay before… makes sense he didn’t do big races because he got offered a fraction of others despite feeling like he make reasonable requests.
Could be a wide variety of sponsorship agreements.
He does seem like kind of a self righteous tool though… the whole ‘god carried me to the finish’ bit makes him pretty hate able. I’m fine with people believing in whatever, but when you’re so self important that you think the most important thing god has on the schedule is helping you win a race, I know you’re just a tool.