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Do they make money on the win? I thought they made money on the brand deals they get after the win.

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Often countries pay their athletes for some achievements. For example, in Latvia, IIRC, if you finish in one of the first six places, you get some monetary bonus.

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I think it is very small. But they make a lot on the brand deals and advertisements.

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In Latvia I think it was around 140K EUR for gold.

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Yes, but the other deals make you millions.

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Depends on how popular you are. Let's say, in winter sports, Latvians regularly get medals in bobsleigh, but they live from salaries and national bobsleigh team need additional sponsorship in top of money from local Olympic committee and Bobsleigh federation (which gets money from government) to survive. Some top guys recently even left the team for money reasons.

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Most athletes are not rich if they dont win.

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In most sports they aren't too rich even if they win. Olympics are once 4 years for them, rest of events are not too popular to get too big sponsorships even if you are champion.

Noah Lyles winning gold in 100 meters will be a very rich man

Of course the 100 meter final is the signature event in terms of ratings

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Running/Sprinting in general is pretty popular.

It would be ideal if they got all money from advertising for Pepsi Cola instead. But they do get a lot of money from taxpayers as a gift.

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That’s the case for American athletes

They get zero taxpayer money as a reward. Maybe indirectly for training but not for winning medals

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Thats what I thought. When I was younger, I was amazed at this. But they become rich by other ways. Especially just going around to places to talk.

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Yes

Endorsement and exhibition money

Track and field athletes especially sprinter travel all over the globe

Usain Bolt is a millionaire for this reason

Same with Carl Lewis

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I think Olympians win the hearts of people when they win medals. They get nothing in winning. May be they can win a few endorsements.

It's sad that the athletes for less popular sports remain largely unnoticed and don't get too much in the form of money. This is same for poor countries as well.

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This is a fallacy. Why should athletes be paid more to play a game? Besides most play for the love of the sport not to get paid.

Money has all but ruined a lot of sports in America. College football is a big one Money completely screwed up.

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Couldn’t agree more regarding CFB

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respectfully, you are being naive and selfish and completely fucking over college football players

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How? They choose to play. It’s a game why do people who play games must be compensated? Because we become a fat lazy jerk off society who over indulges in entertainment because modern society is so easy and safe?

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It’s not a game if it appears on television. It’s entertainment which is a business

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A business built on top of a game.

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College football is a big one Money completely screwed up.

I feel what you're saying and part of me agrees. However, lets look more broadly....

The colleges are making hundreds of millions off the athletes, yet it is the the athletes who will suffer a lifetime if they sustain a critical injury. Then those very same colleges push for legislation to make "paying college athletes illegal".

At the very least, the colleges should be forced to carry a multi-million dollar insurance policy on each player, so if that player sustains a career ending injury they get paid out.

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College football and basketball coaches and athletic directors benefit most from athletes not being paid. I’m not talking about under the table envelopes with cash.

You never hear about the star freshman who gets hurt and loses his scholarship.

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with all due respect, you are being naive and screwing college football players

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College football players should share in the spoils of revenue. I don’t see the coaches sharing some of the loot.

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A gold medal in the men’s 100 meter final means a lot of green in the near future

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It depends on their sponsorship deals.

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Yes, I remember Michael Phelps didnt win a lot at the olympics, but made a fortune on the sponsorship and brand deals. Then that bong picture surfaced, and they were all taken away for a while.

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He did quite impressive in Olympic too winning 28 medals. He earn $10 million annually with longstanding partnership with Puma.

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He made a lot with wheaties, too.

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Never forget when the US had to push through "emergency" legislation over winning medals at the Olympics because they would have been taxed! Some states though like good ol Cali still tax the athletes if they are residents of the state though!

https://poole.ncsu.edu/thought-leadership/article/the-tax-implications-of-olympic-prizes/

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California is awful

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as soon as they finish the first gold silver or bronze and the very next day they go into the depression because they get so much high and they go down

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It's true that the psychological impact of winning a medal can be serious.

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Check out the history of the precious metals content in the medals themselves. They're not worth much anymore: https://swimswam.com/are-olympic-gold-medals-actually-gold-the-history-and-value-of-olympic-gold-medals/

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They don't win anything alongwith the medals but many countries reward their Athletes for geting a medal.

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It's not always 'How much money'. Sometimes, It's a lot of other things including respect of all the country. I think Olympians earn respect, love and fame!

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And sponsors probably

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Apparently in Australia they get $20k for gold, $15k for silver and $10k for bronze (AUD).

I'm sure they'd get a lot more with advertising, products and branding.

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Athletes will earn $37,500 for every gold medal by US but if an Indian wins a gold they are paid around $100000. It's more than the double!!

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But still India not making much progress in other fields of sports apart from cricket. Thats very sad part. Hope India's medal tally may continue to rise in future Olympics.

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I haven't read the article, but I heard on the radio today that the Chinese are getting houses and diamonds. I don't know where it was, but athletes were exempt from compulsory military service, crazy!

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currently us have the highest number of medas