# Do you win anything besides the glory in the Olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064 "2004-08-23T07:42:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/1 "2004-08-23T07:42:39Z")
Are there any cash or other prizes in the Olympics? I’ve never heard of any, and it’s not like the athletes get on eBay as soon as the games are over to flog their medals. I understand that some athletes have sponsorship deals where they get money according to their achievements, but for the others, is the Olympics just for the glory? Also, do you get airfare, hotel stay and suchlike paid by your home country? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/2 "2004-08-23T07:43:43Z")
> [@Priceguy](#): > > Are there any cash or other prizes in the Olympics? I’ve never heard of any, and it’s not like the athletes get on eBay as soon as the games are over to flog their medals. I understand that some athletes have sponsorship deals where they get money according to their achievements, but for the others, is the Olympics just for the glory? > > Also, do you get airfare, hotel stay and suchlike paid by your home country? No, Yes, and Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/3 "2004-08-23T07:45:31Z")
Wow, that was quick. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/4 "2004-08-23T11:01:08Z")
Athletes in many countries get cash prizes from their government for winning medals. I think the US hands gold medallists $25, 000. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/5 "2004-08-23T11:34:21Z")
Endorsement deals. Mary Lou Retton made hella more money off of TV and print ads than she ever could have off of any awards directly connected to the games. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/6 "2004-08-23T12:35:45Z")
The US doesn’t give money to its athletes, though some countries do. US athletes can get endorsements (and can continue to get them for quite a long time – Jeff Blatnick, who won a gold in 1984, is doing local commercials here). They also can hit the lecture circuit, and can use their fame to get coaching or commentating jobs. Some governments give their athletes a cash prize; most make sure they have jobs for the rest of their lives. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/7 "2004-08-23T13:07:34Z")
\ From yesterday’s [New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/22/sports/olympics/22spoils.html) > [@](#): > > The United States Olympic Committee is offering only $25,000 for golds, $15,000 for silvers and $10,000 for bronzes. USA Swimming says it will chip in another $25,000 for golds in the pool. Methinks you need a reality check, chuck 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/8 "2004-08-23T13:20:28Z")
But the US Olympic Committee is a private institution, whereas most Olympic Committees around the world are government-run. The US Government does not give Olympic athletes money. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/9 "2004-08-23T14:26:22Z")
I read an interview of a french 2000 gold medalist who was expected to do well in an unheard of sport (target pistol 10 metres, or somesuch). Asked what changed for him after his gold medal, he answered that he was handed some equipment by a sponsor, and could made a downpayment for a house with the grant he received with his medal. I then assumed that medalist, contrarily to what I believed, got money. But reading this thread, I assume it’s the french government who granted him money. For the record, it was an amount like 50 000 € or so. Not like they won’t need anymore to work for a living. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-win-anything-besides-the-glory-in-the-olympics/261064/10 "2004-08-23T14:28:28Z")
Yeah, the USOC is technically an NGO, which is able to support itself through [licensing fees](http://www.usoc.org/12964.htm), but it has frequently received money in the past, including about $115 million in 1984 (its share from the Government sale of commemorative coins, which it then flipped to the US Olympic Foundation).